Los Angeles

Dodgers Comeback to Defeat Diamondbacks, Kenley Jansen Earns Save

Justin Turner hit the game-winning homer and Kenley Jansen finally earned a save, as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to edge the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 on Friday night.

Now this is the Dodgers we remember.

Justin Turner hit the game-winning homer off former teammate Zack Greinke in the eighth inning, and Kenley Jansen earned his first save since August 7th, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-2, on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

Los Angeles began the day two games behind Arizona in the NL West and 2 1/2 games back in the wild-card race, but after the victory are one game behind the Snakes and alone in second place after the Rockies lost to the Padres.

Kenley Jansen worked the ninth for his 33rd save. Paul Goldschmidt doubled with one out, but Jansen struck out David Peralta and retired Eduardo Escobar on a grounder to the shortstop.

"I was pissed off Kenley today," said Jansen after the game. "Sometimes your players motivate you. When JT [Justin Turner] hit that homer, I felt that adrenaline hit me. The atmosphere felt like the playoffs and the crowd helped too. I definitely felt good."

The All-Star closer had been shaky since coming off the disabled list, allowing seven earned runs in four innings over four appearances. He was sidelined by an irregular heartbeat on August 8th.

"Everything that happened in the past, you can't worry about that," said Jansen. "You just have to stay focused for the next month of September and probably the next two months if we work our way to the playoffs. That's where the focus is."

Sports

Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.

Shohei Ohtani reaches 3 times in home debut as the Dodgers rout the Cardinals 7-1

Chiefs signing European rugby star as offensive weapon, reports say

Enrique Hernandez tied it at 2-2, with a pinch-hit homer off Greinke with two out in the seventh.

"I think I was more excited for Kiké's homer," said Turner of Hernandez's equalizer, than his own. "Pinch-hitting off him [Greinke] to hit a two-strike, opposite field homer is pretty impressive. I think it got everyone fired up."

Hernandez's homer was his fourth pinch-hit homer of the season, and provided a big boost to the Dodgers for the remainder of the game.

"For Kiké to be ready when called upon and take that at-bat against Greinke, get behind, but see some pitches and then take him the other way, that was one of the biggest hits of the year," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts of the game-tying homer.

Dylan Floro (5-3) got the win with one strikeout in one inning of relief.

Greinke (13-9) gave up six hits in 7 1/3 innings. The former Dodger struck out five and walked one.

After batting for himself and laying down a sacrifice bunt in the top of the eighth, Greinke returned to the mound in the bottom half of the inning and Turner crushed the first pitch he threw for the game-winning homer.

"I was just looking for something up in the zone," said Turner of the at-bat. "I got a slider that he left up. It was one of the few pitches he left up all night. It feels pretty good."

Turner has stated a solid case to be named the Player of the Month for August after batting .402 with 22 runs, 11 doubles, one triple, six homers and 20 RBI in 25 games.

Goldschmidt slugged a two-run shot, his 31st of the season, in the first. Goldschmidt has reached base in 43 straight road games, extending his club record. 

Despite allowing the homer to Goldschmidt, Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu, settled down after the first inning, and ended up throwing one of his best games of the seasons, allowing just the two runs on four hits with six strikeouts and one walk in seven innings.

"He was great," said Roberts of Ryu. "Ryu was really, really good all night long. It was a big game and he came up huge for us."

Joc Pederson's RBI single in the third left the Dodgers trailing 2-1.

The D-backs had the potential go-ahead run on third base in the eighth. Ketel Marte reached on an error by Floro, got sacrificed to second by Greinke and took third on Floro's wild pitch. But Steven Souza Jr. grounded out to Floro to end the inning. 

TRAINER'S ROOM

Diamondbacks: RHP Shelby Miller (right elbow tightness) played long toss with a plan to increase his workload next week. ... OF Jarrod Dyson (right groin strain) was set to have three at-bats in a game with Triple-A Reno on Friday night.

Dodgers: RHP John Axford (right fibula fracture) is off crutches and playing catch in Arizona, but has yet to throw a bullpen or face hitters. ... RHP Ross Stripling (low back inflammation) threw a bullpen and came out of it well. The team has yet to decide on a plan for him.

UP NEXT

Patrick Corbin (10-5, 3.15 ERA) starts for the Diamondbacks against fellow lefty Clayton Kershaw (6-3, 2.39 ERA). Corbin is 1-0 with a 0.98 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers this season. Since the All-Star break, Kershaw is 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA, 46 strikeouts and three walks.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us