Arizona uses the Dodgers method to win series opener, 6-3

The Arizona Diamondbacks took a page from the Los Angeles Dodgers playbook, clubbed three home runs, worked over the bullpen for five middle inning runs, received a quality start from Zack Godley and turned that lead over to the bullpen to pitch scoreless relief to nail down a 6-3 victory at Chase Field.

The Dodgers bullpen allowed five runs combined in the sixth and seventh innings, culminated by a 343-foot grand slam home run off the right field foul pole by Jake Lamb off Tony Watson, the second reliever of the seventh.

Brandon Morrow started that inning but was removed after a single, wild pitch and strikeout. When Arizona sent up left-handed hitting Chris Herrmann - a .157 hitter this year - to pinch-hit with another left-hander on deck, Dave Roberts made the decision to change pitchers to Watson.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo opted to go to a right-handed pinch hitter for Herrmann, and Watson hit Adam Rosales with a pitch. David Peralta grounded out to advance the runners. With first base open and a one-run lead, Roberts chose to intentionally walk AJ Pollock to get to another left-hander.

However, that was Lamb. Lamb was partly fooled by a breaking ball, but it was a bit up and Lamb got enough barrel of the bat on the ball to get it to carry out.

Kenta Maeda used 92 pitches to get through five innings, but allowed only one run, before turning the game over to the bullpen.

The Dodgers never exactly solved Arizona starter Zack Godley, but they did manage to notch three runs against him in his 6 ²⁄₃ innings, including two home runs by Justin Turner.

Turner’s first homer opened the scoring, a deep blast to centerfield in the fourth inning. Cody Bellinger followed with a double to left-center and Logan Forsythe grounded a single up the middle to plate him.

Turner hit his second homer in consecutive plate appearances, reaching the left-field stands in the sixth inning. But Pedro Baez returned that run by serving a gopher ball to Lamb to start the bottom half of that inning, then nearly coughed up the lead, but Yasiel Puig stole a sure home run away from JD Martinez with a highlight-reel leaping catch at the right field wall to preserve a 3-2 lead.

Arizona halved the lead in the fifth inning with a home run from Chris Iannetta to start the frame. Ketel Marte immediately singled then went to third on a somewhat bizarre throwing error when Maeda threw over to first while Cody Bellinger was creeping in for a possible bunt.

But Maeda wiggled out of that situation by inducing the next three batters to strikeout, hit a comebacker, and fly routinely to left field, stranding the tying run at third base.

Arizona threatened at the start of the game as they put their first two runners on base, but Maeda worked out of trouble by retiring the heart of the Diamondbacks order on a fly to right, a pop up and a strikeout.

Chris Taylor continued his post-All-Star break hitting; his single to lead off the game was his 35th in the second half.

Up next

Alex Wood climbs the hill Wednesday for the Dodgers at 6:40 p.m. PT. Old friend Zack Greinke toes the rubber for the Diamondbacks.

Wednesday particulars

Home runs: Turner 2 (15), Iannetta (9), Lamb 2 (25)

WP - David Hernandez (2-0): ¹⁄₃ IP, 1 strikeout

LP - Watson (5-4): ²⁄₃ IP, 2 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 1 home run allowed

S - Fernando Rodney (26): 1 IP, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts