The pivotal series opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks was a wild affair that included 19 runs, five homers and 13 pitchers seeing action on Friday.
There’s no telling if Round 2 will be tamer or just as wild when the four-game series between the two National League West rivals continues Saturday night in Phoenix.
Los Angeles’ 10-9 victory was its third straight win and ninth in the past 11 games. The Dodgers lead the Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres by five games in the division race.
Will Smith belted a three-run homer, Freddie Freeman hit a two-run shot and Shohei Ohtani added a solo homer and steal. Ohtani has 43 of each as he bids to become the first 50-50 player in major league history.
Smith’s blast gave the Dodgers a 9-5 lead and Ohtani’s homer made it a five-run margin but Los Angeles barely held off an Arizona team known for late comebacks.
“That was a battle,” Smith said. “We were able to grind as a team and get the win. That’s all that matters, as ugly as it was.”
Freeman had three RBIs in his return from a three-game absence due to a fractured right middle finger.
He wasn’t the least bit surprised at the crazy nature of the series opener.
“Kind of fitting to start the series off like this with a lot of electricity in the crowd,” Freeman said.
The Diamondbacks knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs last season during their run to the World Series.
They also have been one of the hottest teams in baseball while winning 18 of 26 games in August. But they haven’t made up any ground as Los Angeles also is 18-8 this month.
Friday’s setback was the third in four games for Arizona. But manager Torey Lovullo indicated the team’s ninth-inning comeback was big.
Jake McCarthy hit a two-run single and Eugenio Suarez belted a two-run homer in the ninth to move the Diamondbacks within one run before Anthony Banda retired the final two hitters for Los Angeles.
“Down 10-5, the easy thing to do would be to give up and move on to tomorrow,” Lovullo said afterward. “But this is a hungry team that wants to win games and knows the importance of each pitch, each inning.”
Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll homered Friday and has four over the past four games.
On Saturday, Gavin Stone (11-5, 3.33 ERA) of the Dodgers faces Merrill Kelly (4-0, 3.98) of the Diamondbacks in a battle of right-handers.
Kelly, 35, has experienced major troubles against Los Angeles, going 0-11 with a 5.49 ERA in 16 career starts.
Because of a shoulder injury that sidelined him nearly four months, Kelly hasn’t faced the Dodgers this season.
Mookie Betts (8-for-35) has three homers against Kelly. Max Muncy (14-for-37, one homer), Smith (11-for-34, one homer) and Chris Taylor (10-for-32, homer) also have fared well against Kelly.
Kelly is 2-0 with a 6.75 ERA in three starts since returning from the injury. He defeated the Boston Red Sox on Sunday when he gave up four runs and seven hits over six innings in the 7-5 game.
Stone, 25, is enjoying a breakout season and has pitched at least seven innings on seven occasions, including his past two outings.
Since Clayton Kershaw (left big toe) left two pitches into the second inning on Friday, another long outing by Stone would help the bullpen.
Stone received a no-decision against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday despite allowing one run and three hits over seven innings in the 3-1 win. In his previous start, he struck out a career-best 10 while beating the Seattle Mariners. He gave up two hits and two walks over seven shutout innings.
Stone is just 0-1 with an 8.00 ERA in two starts against Arizona this season.
–Field Level Media