Josh Beckett masterful but loses anyway, 1-0

Josh Beckett pitched his best game as a Dodger on Sunday, but all he got to show for it was a complete game loss as the Dodgers fell 1-0 to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix. Paul Goldschmidt grounded a single into right field to score A.J. Pollock from second base with the winning tally with one out in the ninth inning.

Beckett and Cahill were locked in quite a pitchers duel on Sunday with the roof closed. Neither pitcher issued an unintentional walk. Cahill pitched into the eighth and allowed six hits, with four strikeouts. Beckett allowed six hits and struck out nine, and retired 12 straight and 17 of 18 before allowing a double to Pollock on an 0-2 pitch with one out in the ninth inning.

The nine strikeouts for Beckett matched the output of the other weekend starters in Phoenix, Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-jin Ryu.

The Dodgers got their leadoff men on in both the seventh and the eighth innings, with an Adrian Gonzalez double and Nick Punto single, and both were in scoring position. But both were stranded to keep the game scoreless.

Gonzalez (3-for-4), Andre Ethier (1-for-3 with a walk), and Punto (2-for3) were the only Dodgers to reach base on Sunday. The rest of the team was 0-for-20.

The Dodgers have now lost seven of their last eight games to the Diamondbacks, and ended their road trip 3-3.

Up next

The Dodgers return home to battle 24 San Diego Padres, without Carlos Quentin. Chad Billingsley starts the opener for the Dodgers Monday, facing old friend Eric Stults in a rematch of Wednesday in Petco Park, won by Billingsley and the Dodgers.

Sunday's particulars

Home runs: none

WP - J.J. Putz (1-0): 1 IP, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

LP - Josh Beckett (0-2): 8⅓ IP, 6 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts