Adrian Medina
Game 51, 5/21/2024: Dodgers 3, Diamondbacks 7
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — It just wasn’t the Dodgers’ night tonight as they dropped game two of this three-game series against the D-backs 7-3. Gavin Stone did not provide his best stuff this outing after coming off a string of great starts. Arizona jumped on him early and Stone provided a stat line of 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, and 5 K.
The D-Backs began their offensive output in the 2nd inning as they notched two runs off a string of four straight singles, the last two being RBI knocks from the bats of Eugenio Suarez and Gabriel Moreno. They then tacked on another pair of runs in the 5th and 6th respectively after a Ketel Marte sacrifice groundout to drive in one and a Christian Walker solo shot.
Most of the night, the Dodgers couldn’t get anything going off D-backs starter Brandon Pfaadt. The Snakes righty was facing the Dodgers for the first time since he held them in check in last year’s NLDS, and he was almost as good as he was in October. The Dodgers could manage only four hits off Pfaadt in six innings.
Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith provided the only blips of offense the Dodgers could muster this evening. Ohtani’s wheels on the base path caused catcher Gabby Moreno to overthrow a ball to third allowing the first run on the board for LA in the fourth. Ohtani would help his cause again as he singled in a run to cut the deficit in half in the sixth. In the same inning, Smith doubled in a run to cut the lead by one, but this would be as close as they get.
Michael Grove was tasked with keeping the game close, but didn’t have his best stuff in this one. He started the seventh by walking the nine-hole hitter Kevin Newman. Not ideal. Then, after a Corbin Caroll strikeout, Ketel Marte laced a single to right. Finally, the knockout punch. Old friend Joc Pederson came up and did Joc Pederson things, punishing his old club by launching a three-run shot into the right field pavilion and putting this game out of reach. The Arizona pen shut down the Dodgers the rest of the way, and that was that.
This game also saw the debut of newly acquired reliever Yohan Ramirez in the eighth and he pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth inning.
With the series even at one game a piece, the Dodgers will look to take the rubber match tomorrow at 7:10 PM PT with none other than their ace Tyler Glasnow on the bump. Arizona will have RHP Ryne Nelson to represent them on the mound. Let’s take the series tomorrow!
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