Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Arizona Diamondbacks 7-4 in series-starter - MLB Update
The Los Angeles Dodgers overpowered the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-4 in the first outing of the three-game series at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday, August 5.
Dodgers clobbered six devastating runs in the third inning that provided the real advantage over the rivals. Casey Blake led off the game with his line drive single to right-field. Then Andre Ethier, Juan Rivera and Aaron Miles each added an RBI single to
take the lead to 4-0 before Rod Barajas touched a double to deep-left-centre to finalise it at 6-0.
The D-backs added their first score in the sixth inning, when Chris Young hit a sacrifice fly to centre, allowing Justin Upton to score a run. Gerardo Parra and Willie Bloomquist each added an RBI single to reduce the lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the seventh
inning.
Dodgers’ Rod Barajas launched a ballistic 390-feet long one-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to improve the advantage to 7-3. Miguel Montero reduce the game to 7-4 with his sacrifice fly RBI single but the perfect inning by Dodgers’ closer Javy
Guerra did not allow the D-backs to come back in the game.
Guerra allowed only one hit over one inning to get his tenth save of the season.
Chad Billingsley worked six innings, gave away three runs on seven hits, walked two and struck-out two to get his tenth save of the season.
"I had good fastball command today," Billingsley said. "I was able to move it on all parts of the zone. That was the main thing. I had a good cutter, slider today and a little two-seamer and some changeups."
Matt Guerrier and Scott Elbert did not allow any run while Mike MacDougal gave single in the one inning but still got his ninth hold of the season.
The D-backs’ starter Josh Collmenter had a bad day with the ball as gave away six run, eight hits and one walk over two innings, which sent him to seventh loss in 2011 regular season.
"I just wasn't as fine with my pitches as I needed to be," Collmenter said. "Even when I did mix them a little bit, they were guessing one or two and I'd get behind and not make the pitches I needed to."
However, Mitch Owings tossed just over four scoreless innings to create some relief room for his batters but they failed to take advantage of this chance. Bryan Shaw yielded single run, Brad Ziegler and Joe Paterson did not allow any run over their combined
one inning.
It was the Dodgers 51st win while D-backs lost their 51st game of the 2011 regular season.
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