D-backs' speed, bunt beat Dodgers 2-1, overcomes Syndergaard
Jake McCarthy drove in the tie-breaking run with a bunt single in the ninth inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers 2-1 on Sunday to overcome Noah Syndergaard in his first start for Los Angeles.
With the score 1-1, Ketel Marte doubled against Brusdar Graterol (0-1) leading off the ninth. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled to right and Mookie Betts charged and threw a strike to catcher Will Smith, who applied a swipe tag.
Christian Walker singled and Corbin Carroll hit into a forceout that left runners on second and third.
Carroll swiped second for his third stolen base of the game, and McCarthy got his first hit this season when he bunted to the right side and Graterol, running off the mound, couldn't come up with the ball cleanly as he tried to scoop it and flip to first baseman Freddie Freeman in one move.
"I just took a look over to the right side of the infield and saw they were playing back. I figured it was a good situation," McCarthy said. "I figured I was getting something hard and inside. Fortunate enough to get the bunt down and make a play."
Andrew Chafin (1-0) pitched two-third of an inning for the win.
Scott McGough, a 33-year-old right-hander who on Friday made his first big league appearance since 2015, got the final two outs for his first save. striking out Chris Taylor and retiring pinch-hitter Jayson Heyward on a groundout.
Syndergaard made his Dodgers debut after signing a $13 million, one-year contract. The 30-year-old right-hander started with seven strikes and retired 12 of his first 13 batters.
He gave up one run and four hits in six innings, striking out six and walking none. No longer the flamethrowing Thor of his youth, he threw 78 pitches and averaged 94.1 mph with his fastball and 93.6 mph with his sinker.
"It was awesome. I'm a big believer in first impressions," Syndergaard said. "New home, new fan base. Just wanted to get out there execute and attack the hitters. Made a really good first impression. Now that I got the first impression one over, I can relax a little bit and let the nerves calm down. Just unfortunately didn't win."
Will Smith homered in the first off Zach Davies, one of four hits by the Dodgers.
Arizona tied the score in the fifth when Carroll singled, stole second and third and scored on Geraldo Perdomo's double.
Graterol wasn't able to make the play.
"I'd take Bazooka as a pitcher, fielding at his position, over anybody," Smith said of Graterol. "I think he makes that 99 out of 100 times."
NEXT DAY
A day after hitting three home runs, Trayce Thompson was 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts. All three of Thompson's home runs Saturday had an exit velocity of 107.5 mph, the first time since Statcast started tracking in 2015 that a player hit three home runs with the same velocity in the same game.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: RHP Tony Gonsolin (sprained left ankle) will go to the spring training complex to face hitters.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Ryne Nelson (0-0, 0.00 ERA) made his major league debut against the Padres in September and will face them again Monday in San Diego. He threw seven scoreless innings in an Arizona win.
Dodgers: RHP Michael Grove (0-0, 0.00) is expected to make a handful of starts with Ryan Pepiot on the IL. Grove, who will make the start against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, was selected in the second round by the Dodgers in 2018 and made his major league debut last year.
