Another day, another loss for the Dodgers.
Adam Rosales broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI double in the top of the seventh and the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-1, for their franchise record 13th consecutive win on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.
"I just got a good pitch," Rosales said after the game. "He has a really good changeup. So I waited for that pitch, saw it up and drove it."
For the second time in a week, the Snakes sweep the N.L. West leading Dodgers and have erased 10.5 games off L.A.'s stranglehold on the division (they still lead by 10.5 games).
"We're going to win the division. I can assure you of that," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts after the game. "We need to continue to stay together and compete. If you get hit in the mouth, you have to fight back. There's a lot of fight left in our guys."
It was the first time Arizona swept the Dodgers in consecutive series since 2005.
Losers of 11 of their last 12 games, the Dodgers continue to spiral downward after one of the best 120-game starts in baseball history.
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Entering the game, the Diamondbacks had not trailed in 97 consecutive innings, tied with the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers for the third longest streak in MLB history.
The 2017 Dodgers made sure that streak would not continue as Cody Bellinger scored Chris Taylor on an RBI fielder's choice groundout in the first inning.
Unfortunately, the lead would not last long as Arizona tied the game in the top of the second inning.
Snakes' starter Taijuan Walker helped his own cause with an RBI double to the gap in right-center that scored A.J. Pollock.
Walker (9-7) got the win, despite not pitching in the seventh inning, as he allowed one run on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts in six innings.
"Our pitching has been spectacular," said Chris Iannetta who caught Walker in the game. "The starters are going deep into games and our bullpen has been outstanding."
Dodgers' starter Kenta Maeda matched Walker for the most part, also allowing one run on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in five innings, but did not factor in the decision.
"The starters this series pitched well and set the tone," said Roberts. "They were challenged by that last series in Arizona, and those guys responded."
After Justin Turner was ejected from the game, Luis Avilan led off the top of the seventh by allowing three straight hits that gave Arizona a 2-1 lead.
"I basically just told him how far outside it was," said Turner of the pitch that got him ejected. "Apparently that was enough to get thrown out in a 1-1 game. It's a helpless feeling. If I had to do it all over again, I probably wouldn't even given him the time of day. I can't get thrown out in a 1-1 game there."
Three batters later, with the bases loaded, Avilan hit Daniel Descalso with a 94 MPH fastball to give Diamondbacks an extra insurance run.
The loss marks a season-high, sixth consecutive defeat for Los Angeles and sixth straight at the hands of the Diamondbacks.
"This is so special. This is exciting stuff," added Rosales who knocked in the go-ahead run in the seventh. "The team chemistry is unlike anything I've ever been a part of before."
Thankfully, the Dodgers will not have to face the Diamondbacks again this season as Arizona took the season series 11 games to eight. It was the first time they loss the season series to the Snakes since 2013.
"They're the best team in baseball," Iannetta said of the Dodgers. "They've been the best team all year from top to bottom. They have a tough lineup and great starting pitcher. They're the best team in baseball for a reason, and we're just happy to get some wins against them."
The lone highlight of the night for Los Angeles came in the first inning when Curtis Granderson made this sliding snow cone catch to save a run.
Nobody turns down a snow cone, and @cgrand3 is no different. pic.twitter.com/qZ23oBOXIe— MLB (@MLB) September 7, 2017
Up Next:
The Dodgers will host the Colorado Rockies for a four-game series at Chavez Ravine starting on Thursday.
The only Dodger pitcher with a win in the last 12 days, Clayton Kershaw, will once again look to stop the bleeding as he heads the mound opposite Jon Gray.
