The Arizona Diamondbacks push the Dodgers to the brink of elimination securing a 2-0 lead in the National League Division Series (NLDS). Their strong start on offense helped the D-Backs secure a 4-2 win.
Dodgers general manager Dave Roberts recalled how the Boys in Blue have won three consecutive games before and how the club has familiarity playing against the D-Backs.
“Some of our guys have been in this spot before as far as facing elimination,” Roberts said. “We just got to take better team at bats and win the next game, win game three.”
The Dodgers secured six hits. Designated hitter J.D. Martinez was the only batter to make more than one.
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“We just got to focus on the next game,” Dodgers star Mookie Betts said. “They got some good pitchers and they were making it tough.”
Dodgers’ starting pitcher Bobby Miller allowed three runs in the first inning. By the second, the Dodgers swapped Miller out for star pitcher Brusdar Graterol.
“As a starter, especially after losing game one, you want to go out there and set a tone for your offense and put them in a good mood,” Miller said. “I didn’t help the bullpen out either.”
After pitching two scoreless innings, Graterol was swapped out for Ryan Brasier. During his time on the mound, Graterol wanted to keep positive energy high among the team and the fans while sticking to a gameplan that got the Dodgers to the postseason.
“Just coming in with that same mentality that we had since the middle of the summer, just coming out, putting up zeros,” Graterol said. “I knew that I had a lot of capable guys and a lot of good arms behind me.”
Martinez put the Dodgers on the board with a homerun in the fourth. However, the D-Backs were still ahead 3-1.
Brasier made two strikeouts in the fifth. Brasier struck out one more batter in the sixth before Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered to give Arizona their fourth run.
The Dodgers were able to make a combination of hits in the sixth, loading the bases. In response to the Dodgers’ efforts, the D-Backs replaced their starting pitcher Zac Gallen with Andrew Saalfrank. Kiké Hernandez, who was subbed in for David Peralta, hit an RBI single to give the Dodgers their second run. Their next two batters could not produce a hit.
“We had some spots with guys on base but it’s not easy,” Jason Heyward said. “You want to come through in each spot, doesn’t work out that way.”
The D-Backs executed double plays in the eighth and ninth to keep the Dodgers’ at bats short. Ultimately seven Dodgers runners were left on base although the Dodgers’ defense denied 10 D-Back runners a trip to home base.
The Dodgers now head to Arizona for game three of the NLDS on October 11 at 6:07P.M.
