Tony Gonsolin’s steady hand helps Dodgers to another win over the Diamondbacks

Tony Gonsolin continued his steady run of stinginess, helping the Dodgers to a 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday at Chase Field, the third straight win for Los Angeles.

Gonsolin lasted exactly six innings and struck out exactly seven batters in each of his last three starts. He pounded the strike zone, getting 10 swinging strikes and 24 called strikes, keeping Arizona off balance most of the night.

Jake McCarthy and Geraldo Perdomo each had RBI triples in the second inning, giving Arizona the lead. It was a rarity for a few reasons, with Gonsolin the first Dodgers pitcher in over three years to give up two triples in the same inning. The Rockies got Julio Urías in the third inning at Coors Field back on April 7, 2019.

For Gonsolin, that was also just the second inning this season in which he’s allowed more than one run. The other one was also at Chase Field, a three-run third on April 26.

This was also just the third time Gonsolin allowed more than one run in a start in 2022. He’s allowed 10 total runs in his nine starts, the recipe for a 1.80 ERA. Now fully healthy after battling shoulder soreness all last year, Gonsolin has given the Dodgers the length they need, lasting six innings in three straight starts for the first time in his career.

Gonsolin retired 13 of his last 14 batters faced in this one.

By then, the Dodgers regained the lead, thanks to the usual suspects.

Mookie Betts continued his torrid May with two more hits. His home run in the first inning gave him 20 extra-base hits this month, just the 16th calendar month with 20 extra-base hits by a Dodger.

Betts is also the first Dodger to score 30 runs in a calendar month since Duke Snider in July 1954.

Freddie Freeman narrowly missed a two-run home run in the fifth inning, his towering drive down the right field line hooking just foul. But Freeman walked, setting up Trea Turner to single home the tying run, extending his hitting streak to 20 games.

Freeman scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by cleanup hitter Will Smith.

Justin Turner had four hits for the second time this month, and had two doubles for the second time in three days in this series in Phoenix. He never got to bat with anyone on base, and nobody drove him in all those times on base, so Turner ended with the rare 4 0 4 0 batting line, just the 20th in Dodgers history.

Saturday was a busy night for instant replay, and also one for the Dodgers getting thrown out on the bases, which limited other scoring chances. Edwin Ríos and Freeman each got picked off at first base, both initially called safe and later overturned on replay. Gavin Lux was called out at third base on a pop-up slide after another replay in the seventh inning. Trea Turner was caught stealing as well, one of four Dodgers outs on the bases.

Even with the narrow margin, Gonsolin and the Dodgers bullpen made it hold up. Justin Bruihl pitched a perfect seventh with two groundouts and a strikeout. Alex Vesia worked around a walk to pitch a scoreless eighth, including two strikeouts.

After Craig Kimbrel needed 26 pitches to get through the ninth inning on Friday, the Dodgers turned to Daniel Hudson in the ninth. Ketel Marte opened the frame with a double to the left-center gap, Arizona’s first hit since the fourth inning.

But Hudson recovered thanks to a groundout and two strikeouts to notch his third save of the year.

Saturday particulars

Home run: Mookie Betts (14)

WP — Tony Gonsolin (5-0): 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 7 strikeouts

LP — Merrill Kelly (3-3): 5 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts

Sv — Daniel Hudson (3): 1 IP, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts

Up next

Tyler Anderson looks to follow up his Monday gem in Washington, where he tossed eight scoreless innings. The left-hander starts the series finale Sunday (1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA), with right-hander Zach Davies starting for Arizona.

Sunday is the final game of the Dodgers’ 10-game road trip. In each of their three series, they had a chance to sweep but lost a one-run game on getaway day. They try to buck that trend tomorrow.