Game Recap: Corbin Struggles, D-Backs Fall To Dodgers

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Corbin has not only been the Arizona Diamondbacks’ most consistent pitcher this season, but he has solidified himself as a top pitcher in all of baseball. Tuesday night at Chase Field, however, he did not prove that. The 24-year-old All-Star was able to get through just two innings of work, allowing six runs on seven hits while giving up two home runs in the process. The D-Backs lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-3 in the lefty’s shortest outing of the season.

Corbin, who surrendered four runs to the Dodgers before his team even came to bat, never found a comfortable groove to settle into. After Yasiel Puig flied out to begin the game, two straight singles off the bats of Mark Ellis and Hanley Ramirez brought Adrian Gonzalez to bat, who popped out. Matt Kemp stepped up to the plate and after a wild pitch by Corbin earlier in the bat, ripped a double which scored the two runners on base. Following Kemp, Juan Uribe blasted a two-run home run and gave his team a 4-0 lead.

After a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second, Corbin’s struggles continued in the third and he let up another two-run homer – this one off the bat of Gonzalez. LA, however, was not nearly finished. In just the next frame, Ellis’s infield single scored Zack Greinke and Kemp’s single later in the inning brought Ellis in to score. Just like that, LA led 8-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

The Snakes finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of that inning. After two straight singles by Paul Goldschmidt and Eric Chavez, Martin Prado grounded into a force out which scored Goldy. In the bottom of the sixth, Arizona pulled within six after Aaron Hill‘s solo shot.

While both teams would add on one run, the Dodgers had the advantage throughout the game. Poor pitching combined with spotty offense is never a good recipe for success, which is what the D-Backs received from their players on Tuesday night.

The Diamondbacks (76-74) now trail the Dodgers (87-64) by 10.5 games for first place in the NL West, and sit 9 games back of the Cincinatti Reds (86-66) for the second and final wild-card spot. Arizona continues their four games series against Los Angeles on Wednesday at Chase Field.