Dodgers fit to be tied in extra-inning loss to Diamondbacks

For the ninth time since the beginning of March a Dodgers game was undecided after nine innings. But after eight ties during spring training, the Dodgers played extra frames for the first time in 2015, falling to the Diamondbacks 4-3 in 10 innings at Chase Field in the opener of a three-game series.

After a one-out walk to Cliff Pennington in the 10th inning, J.P. Howell threw a wild pitch to advance him to second, then completely ignored him as he stole third without a throw while walking A.J. Pollock, putting runners at the corners.

Don Mattingly deployed a five-man infield, including Yasiel Puig at third base, but the defense lasted all of one pitch as Ender Inciarte ended the game with a single through the infield into right field for the game-winning hit.

The Dodgers otherwise had stellar relief on Friday, following technically a quality start from Brett Anderson.

Yimi Garcia gave the Dodgers two innings of excellent relief work, striking out four. He allowed a hit, which was to Paul Goldschmidt, but that's all. Garcia threw 20 of his 23 pitches for strikes, with the only three balls coming in Goldschmidt's at-bat.

Joel Peralta followed with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning of his own to send the game to extra innings.

Adrian Gonzalez didn't homer on Friday, but he singled with two outs in the first inning, his eighth straight at-bat with a hit. He walked in each of his next two times up, including once intentionally - the only time Gonzalez batted with runners on base all night. That gave Gonzalez 10 straight times reaching base, a streak snapped when he grounded out on a diving play by shortstop Nick Ahmed.

Gonzalez fell four appearances shy of tying Pedro Guerrero's franchise record of 14 straight times reaching base, from July 23-26, 1985. Gonzalez ended his night 1-for-3 with two walks.

But by reaching base three more times on Friday, Gonzalez matched Dixie Walker in 1944 as the only Dodgers to reach base (by hit, walk or hit by pitch) three or more times in the first four games of the season, dating back to at least 1914.

After allowing hardly any fly balls during spring training, Anderson the first time through the order allowed three fly balls to right field. Another oone the second time through was a first-pitch fastball crushed by Goldschmidt for a three-run home run and a third-inning 3-0 lead for Arizona.

'With the roof open, it's hard to make stuff sink," Anderson told reporters after the game, per the SportsNet LA television broadcast.

But that was pretty much it against Anderson, who lasted six innings while allowing five hits and a walk, with four strikeouts.

Goldschmidt has 11 home runs in 34 games against the Dodgers since the start of 2013, hitting .345/.392/.620 with 33 RBI during that span. He was on deck when Inciarte ended the game.

The Dodgers clawed back, first with a no-doubter of his own by Yasmani Grandal in the fourth inning, his first hit as a Dodger. Grandal is 3-for-8 (.375) in his career against Arizona starter Chase Anderson, and all three hits are home runs.

Singles by Juan Uribe and Joc Pederson to start the fifth inning were cashed in by Jimmy Rollins, who hit a double in the right center field gap to tie the game at 3-3, the fourth extra-base hit in four games so far this year for the shortstop.

But the Dodgers were held scoreless for five innings by the Arizona bullpen, including nine in a row set down by Andrew Chafin. Oliver Perez pitched a scoreless 10th inning for the win for Arizona.

Up next

The Dodgers send Clayton Kershaw to the mound on Saturday night, facing Archie Bradley, making his major league debut for the Diamondbacks, in a 5:10 p.m. PT start.

Friday particulars

Home runs: Yasmani Grandal (1); Paul Goldschmidt (1)

WP - Oliver Perez (1-0): 1 IP, 1 hit

LP - J.P. Howell (0-1): ⅓ IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 2 walks