Ryu's Pitching, Hitting Leads Dodgers Past D-backs
PHOENIX (AP) Hyun-Jin Ryu struck out nine in six innings, getting his first three major league hits in the process, and the Los Angeles Dodgers held off the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-5 Saturday night.
Adrian Gonzalez went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs as the Dodgers stopped a six-game losing streak in Arizona dating to last season. Matt Kemp singled in two runs, Skip Schumaker had an RBI double and Andre Ethier singled in a run for Los Angeles.
The Dodgers led 6-1 after six innings but Arizona tried to rally behind pinch-hit RBIs from Eric Hinske, Eric Chavez and Aaron Hill, and a home run by Martin Prado.
Ryu (2-1) allowed three runs and six hits. The South Korean left-hander singled twice and doubled, becoming the first Dodgers pitcher with three hits in a game since Randy Wolf went 3 for 4 against Arizona at Chase Field on Aug. 16, 2009.
Brandon League pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save in as many tries.
Arizona's Ian Kennedy (1-1) gave up six runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings, striking out four and walking four, one intentionally.
The Diamondbacks' Cliff Pennington was ejected for the first time in his big league career after slamming his bat to the plate following a called third strike by umpire Jim Reynolds with runners on first and second in the seventh. The bat broke, and Pennington went back and picked up the shattered piece before he left the field.
Arizona went on to score two runs in the inning and close to 6-3. Prado's homer off Kenley Jansen leading off the eighth made it 6-4. Miguel Montero singled with one out and Hill, out of the lineup since being hit in the left hand by a pitch on Tuesday, doubled to deep left with two outs to make it a one-run game.
Ramon Hernandez's RBI double down the right-field line in the ninth boosted the lead.
Gonzalez led off the fourth with his second home run of the season, then the Dodgers added two in the fifth. Ryu singled, then Crawford reached on a fielder's choice and flew around the bases to score from first on Schumaker's double. Gonzalez was walked intentionally, then Ethier singled sharply to bring home Schumaker with a 3-0 lead.
Arizona scratched one across in the fifth when Pennington led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on Kennedy's sacrifice and scored when A.J. Pollock grounded out.
Los Angeles chased Kennedy in a three-run sixth, with all the damage coming with two outs. Ryu singled and Carl Crawford doubled to put runners at second and third. Schumaker walked to load the bases, then Kemp - batting .189 entering the game - singled in two runs. Left-hander Matt Reynolds replaced Kennedy and gave up an RBI single to Gonzalez putting the Dodgers up 6-1.
Ryu left after giving up singles to Alfredo Marte and Josh Wilson to start the seventh. Reliever Ronald Belisario got Pennington out on strikes, but pinch hitters Hinske and Chavez each singled in a run to cut it to 6-3.
Notes: The Dodgers announced that LHP Chris Capuano will start Tuesday against San Diego, taking the spot that would have gone to Zack Greinke before he broke his collarbone in the bench-clearing brawl with the Padres Thursday night. ... Arizona placed OF Jason Kubel on the 15-day DL with a strained left quadriceps and activated OF Cody Ross, who opened the season on the DL with a left calf strain. ... In the series finale Sunday, RHP Josh Beckett (0-1, 4.91 ERA) goes for Los Angeles and RHP Trevor Cahill (0-2, 5.91) for the Diamondbacks. ... League is 10 for 10 in saves with the Dodgers.
