Dodgers top Diamondbacks 5-4 for seventh straight win
Freddie Freeman had three more hits, Julio Urías threw six quality innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers held on in the ninth inning to beat the fading Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 on Tuesday night.
The Dodgers have won seven of their past eight games, including three straight, despite nearly blowing a 4-0 lead.
The D-backs have lost seven straight and fell to 57-57 for the season. It's the first time Arizona has been at .500 since April 7, when the team was 4-4.
Trailing 5-2 entering the ninth, the D-backs nearly pulled out a comeback. Geraldo Perdomo started the action with a one-out walk and then scored on a triple down the right-field line by Alek Thomas. Ketel Marte followed with an RBI single that cut the margin to 5-4, but rookie Corbin Carroll bounced into a game-ending double play.
Evan Phillips earned his 15th save in 17 chances.
The Dodgers looked as if they might cruise to the victory early on. They pushed their lead to 4-0 in the fifth after back-to-back RBI doubles from Mookie Betts and Freeman and a sacrifice fly by Max Muncy.
Betts extended his hitting streak to 15 games. He finished with two hits and two RBIs.
Freeman is 20 of 38 (.526) over his last nine games, boosting his batting average to .343 for the season. He also has an MLB-leading 41 doubles.
Arizona started its comeback in the eighth, cutting the margin to 4-2 on back-to-back, one-out RBI singles by Tommy Pham and Christian Walker. Brusdar Graterol struck out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and retired Jace Peterson on a flyout to end the threat.
Betts provided what proved to be a much-needed insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth.
The Diamondbacks are just 7-23 over their past 30 games — an extended freefall that has seriously damaged the team's playoff hopes. Arizona was in first place of the NL West on July 8, but has fallen to third over the past four weeks, 10 games behind the surging Dodgers.
One silver lining for the D-backs is they're still just two games back in the NL wild-card race.
Arizona's offense has largely disappeared over the past two weeks. The D-backs haven't scored more than four runs in a game since July 26.
They couldn't do much of anything against Urías (9-6), who gave up four hits, struck out five and walked one. The left-hander has thrown 14 straight scoreless innings dating to July 25.
Arizona rookie Brandon Pfaadt (0-6) is still looking for his first big league win. The right-hander threw 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs and six hits. He has a 7.11 ERA in 10 starts.
WEB GEM
Dodgers left fielder David Peralta appeared to rob former teammate Carson Kelly of a two-run homer in the fifth, leaping above the left-field wall to snag the ball before it landed in the front row of the stands.
Peralta played the first 8 1/2 seasons of his career with the D-backs before being dealt to the Rays at the trade deadline last season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: J.D. Martinez was scratched from the lineup with left groin and hamstring tightness.
UP NEXT
The two-game series wraps up on Wednesday. The D-backs will send RHP Merrill Kelly (9-5, 3.21 ERA) to the mound while the Dodgers counter with RHP Bobby Miller (6-2, 4.26 ERA).