LA Dodgers 4, Arizona 1
When: 10:10 PM ET, Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
Temperature:
79°
Umpires:
Home -
Marvin Hudson, 1B -
David Rackley, 2B -
Bob Davidson, 3B -
Hunter Wendelstedt
Attendance:
46364
By The Sports Xchange
LOS ANGELES -- Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins produced a stream of highlights during their long run together with the Philadelphia Phillies. The pair delivered again Wednesday night and boosted the Los Angeles Dodgers one step closer to a division title.
Utley hit a leadoff homer and drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, and Los Angeles snapped a four-game slide with a 4-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.
Utley doubled off reliever David Hernandez to score shortstop Rollins, who reached on a bunt to open the eighth, as the Dodgers (85-65) increased their lead over the San Francisco Giants to seven games in the National League West with 11 to play.
Los Angeles reduced its magic number to five to clinch a third consecutive division crown when San Francisco lost 5-4 to the San Diego Padres.
"Every victory from here on out is important," said Utley, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and his first home run since Sept. 4. "Obviously, we're getting closer to the finish line. It would be nice to finish strong."
Rollins, who started for the first time since Sept. 6 after recovering from a sprained right index finger, tied Mickey Mantle's career mark for hits by a switch hitter at 2,415.
Utley, who was reunited with Rollins about a month ago, said being in a playoff race has rejuvenated him.
"I almost forgot what it was like being in this type of atmosphere," said Utley, whom the Dodgers acquired in a trade with the Phillies in August. Rollins was obtained by Los Angeles in an offseason deal with Philadelphia.
"It's definitely refreshing. It's fun and it's going to be exciting."
Rookie Corey Seager, who started at third base for the first time in the majors, hit a two-run homer in the eighth to cap the scoring. Seager, who went 1-for-4, has reached base in each of his first 18 major league starts, a Los Angeles franchise record.
Dodgers starter Carlos Frias, who got the nod when Zack Greinke was scratched earlier in the day with a sore right calf, allowed a run on one hit with two strikeouts in four innings. Frias' lone mistake was a pitch that first baseman Paul Goldschmidt deposited into the stands for his 31st home run of the season.
"I tried to throw the first pitch for a strike, but I made a mistake right down the middle," Frias said. "He's one of the best hitters."
Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said his club didn't benefit from facing Frias instead of Greinke, one of the front-runners for the National League Cy Young Award.
"You never want to face Greinke, but we have not fared well against Frias, so I don't know if it was much better," Hale said.
The Dodgers' bullpen kept Arizona scoreless the rest of the way. Reliever Chris Hatcher (3-5) worked a hitless two-thirds of an inning for the win.
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 33rd save.
"The bullpen was outstanding tonight," Utley said. "That was huge and kept us in the game."
Hernandez (1-5) gave up two runs on two hits in one-third of an inning.
The loss wiped out a strong outing by Arizona's Chase Anderson. After serving up the homer to Utley, Anderson shut down the Dodgers. Anderson, who struck out five in a row at one point, did not give up another a hit, retiring 18 of the final 20 batters he faced.
Anderson struck out a career-high 10 while allowing one run, one hit and two walks in six innings.
Utley drove the first pitch from Anderson to right-center. The ball bounced off of the glove of center fielder A.J. Pollock and over the wall for a 1-0 Los Angeles lead. It was Utley's eighth home run this season and his first ever as a leadoff hitter.
In the second, Goldschmidt hit a solo blast to right-center to tie the score. For Goldschmidt, it was his 21st career long ball against the Dodgers, the most by any active opposing player. Goldschmidt also joined Chad Tracy (2005) as the only Arizona players to homer in four straight games at Dodger Stadium.
"He's swinging it well," Hale said. "Even the last ball he hit tonight was a line drive."
NOTES: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly on the passing of Yogi Berra: "I think the reason he was so loved, it wasn't about his career, even though he was a great, great player, it was really more about the person, how great a guy he was, the way he treated people, how humble, how sincere, kind he was to people. That's what really defined him and why he's touched so many people." Mattingly has worn Berra's No. 8 since he joined the Dodgers in 2004 as a coach under former manager Joe Torre. ... Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (6-4, 2.99 ERA) will face Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (14-7, 2.18 ERA) in the series finale Thursday.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Arizona |
|
LA Dodgers |
Chase Anderson
|
Player |
Carlos Frias
|
No Decision |
W/L |
No Decision |
6.0 |
IP |
4.0 |
10 |
Strikeouts |
2 |
1 |
Hits |
1 |
1.50 |
ERA |
2.25 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
Arizona
|
5 |
1 |
8 |
.161 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
LA Dodgers
|
4 |
2 |
11 |
.148 |
5 |
13 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
0 |