Nuno, Diamondbacks lose 2-1 to 1st-place Dodgers

BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two months after being acquired from the New York Yankees, Vidal Nuno has yet to win a game for Arizona.

The Diamondbacks have dropped 10 of 11 starts by the left-hander, including a 2-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.

Nuno fell to 0-5 in those starts, although he has a 2.15 ERA since Aug. 18.

“It stings for any of our guys, but especially him,” first baseman Mark Trumbo said.

The only decision Nuno (0-5) received in that span occurred when he gave up one run over eight innings during last Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Colorado, retiring his final 20 hitters. He set down his first two on Friday before giving up a first-inning single to Adrian Gonzalez.

“It is in the back of my mind a little bit,” Nuno said about the lack of run support.

He gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings Friday, struck out five and walked two. Nuno hasn’t won since June 27 against Boston.

The Diamondbacks had their two-game winning streak snapped and they fell to 2-3 on their 10-game trip to San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“He’s done his job. We just didn’t score runs again,” manager Kirk Gibson said of Nuno.

Dan Haren pitched well on two extra days of rest and Matt Kemp homered for the NL West leaders.

Haren (12-10) allowed one run and four hits in six innings against his former team. The right-hander struck out six and walked one, improving to 4-1 in his last six starts since Aug. 6.

Kenley Jansen worked a perfect ninth, becoming the fourth Dodgers reliever to save 40 games in a season and the first since Eric Gagne in 2004.

The Dodgers got just enough offense to eke out the win.

Yasiel Puig’s slump continued after an 0-for-3 effort, including a strikeout and a walk. He is 4 for 40 with one extra-base hit in his last 15 games.

Kemp led off the third with his 18th homer, sending an 0-1 pitch into the Arizona bullpen in right field.

The Dodgers led 1-0 on Hanley Ramirez’s RBI single with two outs in the second that scored A.J. Ellis, who walked.

Arizona closed to 2-1 in the fourth on Didi Gregorius’ sacrifice fly.

The Diamondbacks have allowed three runs or fewer in nine straight games, tying the club’s longest streak since Sept. 25, 2005, to April 5, 2006.

OFF HIS LEG

Nuno took a ball off his leg while striking out in the third. “It was just a mental thing,” he said. “Right now it’s going to be sore. Now I have a little treatment I’ve got to do.”

LONE RUN

A.J. Pollock scored Arizona’s only run and is batting .457 with 11 runs, seven doubles, a homer and four RBIs in his last nine games since May 26. He missed nearly three months with a broken right hand.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: Relief pitcher Brad Ziegler will have season-ending surgery on his left knee Tuesday to repair frayed cartilage under the kneecap.

Dodgers: LHP Paco Rodriguez, on the disabled list since Aug. 4 with a shoulder strain, had a setback. He was sore on Thursday, a day after his bullpen session, so a simulated game set for Friday was scrubbed. Manager Don Mattingly said he still thinks there’s time for Rodriguez to return this season.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: Chase Anderson (8-6, 3.75 ERA) starts Saturday and is one-third of an inning shy of tying his career best of 137 2-3 innings pitched in 2012. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in six of his last nine starts.

Dodgers: Left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (14-6, 3.18 ERA) takes the mound. He is 2-0 with 0.00 ERA against the Diamondbacks this season.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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