JOE RESNICK
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks loaded the bases with none out in the second inning against Hyun-Jin Ryu and came up empty, which made the two-run homer Chase Anderson gave up to Adrian Gonzalez in the first inning all the more painful.
One day after general manager Kevin Towers was fired, the D-Backs fell a season-worst 21 games out of first place behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-2 loss on Saturday night.
Comeback kid Daniel Hudson was charged with three runs in the eighth inning after his teammates tied it with two runs in the seventh. But it was the unfulfilled second-inning threat that eventually led to the D-Backs’ latest defeat.
Arizona opened the inning with a double by Mark Trumbo, a single by Aaron Hill and a walk to Cody Ross. But left fielder Carl Crawford made a sliding catch of Tuffy Gosewisch’s sinking liner for the second out as Trumbo held at third, and Ryu struck out Anderson.
“Ryu’s got the extra gear. That’s obvious,” Trumbo said. “He’s got an extra two or three miles an hour extra in the tank when he needs it, and he really bears down in those situations. That’s one of his strengths. He has exceptional control, throws any pitch anytime in the count and doesn’t care if he gets behind. So you know you’re in for a battle going into it, and that’s what we got.”
Juan Uribe led off the eighth with a single against Hudson (0-1), making his second appearance since returning from two Tommy John surgeries in consecutive years. Just recalled Roger Bernadina ran for Uribe and beat the throw to second from third baseman Hill, who was trying to start an inning-ending double play on a grounder by pinch-hitter Justin Turner.
All runners were safe on the fielder’s choice, and Dee Gordon worked the count to 3-2 before lining his clutch hit to center field. Hanley Ramirez then greeted Will Harris with a two-run double.
Anderson allowed two runs and four hits over six innings, struck out six and walked none. The first-pitch homer by Gonzalez came one out after Gordon’s leadoff double.
“I felt like I did my job, which was to keep the team in the game,” Anderson said. “I just felt good from the get-go. My fastball’s been good the last couple of times out, and I think my other pitches play better off that when I locate it.”
The Diamondbacks pulled even with an RBI double by Ross and a run-scoring single by pinch-hitter A.J. Pollock that chased Ryu after 114 pitches. The left-hander was charged with two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings and struck out nine in his second start off the disabled list.
Brian Wilson (2-3) got three outs for the victory and Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 41st save.
DEE-FENCE
Gordon, who leads the majors with 58 stolen bases, was thrown out for the 17th time when he tried to run on Gosewisch in the third inning with Gonzalez at bat. Gosewisch is 6 for 16 in that department.
HARD HABIT TO BREAK
With the score tied heading into the Dodgers’ eighth, the p.a. system blared the Bon Jovi hit “Living On A Prayer” — while the in-house camera crew showed former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda sitting in the owners’ box next to two nuns who were wearing blue habits.
RUNNING INTO OUTS
Both right fielders turned hit-and-run flyballs into inning-ending double plays in the first. Matt Kemp doubled up Ender Inciarte at first base after catching Chris Owings’ drive, and Ross did likewise to Kemp after catching Crawford’s ball.
MR. CONSISTENCY
Gonzalez, who leads all active players in homers and Runs batted in against the Diamondbacks, is six RBIs away from his seventh 20-homer, 100-RBI season in the majors.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: 1B Paul Goldschmidt, whose season ended on Aug. 1 because of a broken left hand, batted .259 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 14 games against the Dodgers this season. Last year he hit .388 in 19 games vs. L.A. with six homers and 21 RBIs.
Dodgers: CF Yasiel Puig did not play because of a stomach ailment, according to manager Don Mattingly, and was scheduled to get an IV.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: Trevor Cahill (3-10, 5.06 ERA) is 0-3 in three starts against the Dodgers this season, allowing 17 earned runs in 11 1-3 innings.
Dodgers: Zack Greinke (13-8, 2.72 ERA) is 4-0 with a 1.11 ERA in his last five starts against Arizona. A victory by the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner would give them three pitchers with at least 14 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1977-78, when they had four in both years.
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