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The Dodgers will have a hard time beating last year’s 16-3 record against the Diamondbacks, which matched their best record against Arizona in any season since the franchise started in 1998.
Included in winning 16 of 19 games against Arizona to match the 2004 Dodgers, last year saw the Dodgers go 7-2 at Chase Field in Phoenix. That’s behind only the 2004 and 2014 teams that were both 8-2 in Arizona.
To help that cause, the Dodgers signed Freddie Freeman, who among his many accomplishments is a .384/.442/.703 career hitter at Chase Field, with nine home runs, 15 doubles, a triple, and 30 RBI in 33 games in Arizona. That’s the second-highest opponent OPS of anyone in the stadium’s history with at least 100 plate appearances, behind only Barry Bonds.
Dodgers-Diamondbacks lineups
| Pos | Dodgers | Pos | D-backs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Dodgers | Pos | D-backs |
| RF | Betts | CF | Varsho (L) |
| 1B | Freeman (L) | 2B | Marte (S) |
| SS | Turner | LF | Peralta (L) |
| 2B | Muncy (L) | 1B | Walker |
| 3B | Turner | DH | Beer (L) |
| C | Smith | RF | Smith (L) |
| CF | Bellinger (L) | C | Kelly |
| DH | Taylor | SS | Ahmed |
| LF | Lux (L) | 3B | Perdomo (S) |
Freeman is playing first base and batting second for the Dodgers on Monday night, as he has for every game so far this season. Los Angeles has had a more regular lineup than at any time in Dave Roberts’ tenure as manager, and the usual nine regulars are starting on Monday night, with Chris Taylor taking his first turn at designated hitter.
This is the eighth time in 16 games that these nine position players will have started together. The Dodgers bench of catcher Austin Barnes, infielder Hanser Alberto, and cornerman/DH Edwin Ríos have started a total of 12 times. Counting Friday, the nine regulars will have accounted for 132 of 144 starts (91.7 percent).
The Diamondbacks made a few roster moves before the game, including designating left-hander Oliver Pérez for assignment. The 40-year-old Pérez appeared in seven of Arizona’s 16 games, but allowed nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits, a walk, and a hit by pitch in four innings, and struck out just one of his 24 batters faced.
In 20 major league seasons, Pérez pitched in 703 games, including 195 starts, with a 4.37 ERA and 1,546 strikeouts in 1,465⅔ innings.
Arizona recalled pitcher Tyler Gilbert from Triple-A Reno and activated outfielder Jordan Luplow from the injured list. Outfielder Jake McCarthy was optioned to Reno.
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