Arizona Diamondbacks Game Recap: Alex Guerrero Leads Dodger Offense as Diamondbacks Drop Series Finale

Game Recap:

Zach Grienke pitched seven shoutout innings continuing his dominance against the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 7-4 victory at Chase Field. The Dodgers avoided the series sweep with the win.

Dodgers rookie OF Joc Pederson, and third basemen Alex Guerrero had three hits each, and both players hit their first major-league home runs. Yasiel Puig also hit a home run, his first of the season.

Diamondbacks starter Josh Collmenter once again struggled with his command allowing three runs on nine hits in five innings. Collmenter is 0-2 on the season.

Collmenter threw seventy-four pitches, and only forty-eight of them were strikes. The Dodgers had 16 hits, and Grienke only allowed five hits.

The scoring started in the top of the third. Joc Pederson led off the inning with a double on a line drive to right-field. Pederson advanced to third on a sac bunt by Grienke. Then Jimmy Rollins drove him in on a sac fly to center-field and it was 1-0 Dodgers.

The Dodgers got another run in the fourth on a Guerrero RBI single that scored Yasmani Grandal who had singled earlier in the inning. It was 2-0 at that point.

Yasiel Puig who had come into the game 2 for 17 on the season led off the top of the fifth with a monster home run to left center field to make it 3-0 Dodgers.

Joc Pederson homered on a line drive to center-field in the top of the 6th to make it 4-0 Dodgers.

Guerrero doubled on a ground ball to left fielder David Peralta in the top of the 7th to make it 5-0 Dodgers, and they made it 7-0 after a two run home run by Guerrero scoring Grandal.

The Diamondbacks fought back in the bottom of the 9th highlighted by a three run double by A.J. Pollock but it wasn’t enough.

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Thoughts and Observations:

Josh Collmenter needs to throw more strikes: Collmenter went five innings and allowed three runs pitching a quality start and giving his team a chance to win. That is a good thing, but his command has to improve if he is going to be the ace of this staff.

He only threw 65% of his pitches for strikes. That isn’t good enough. He has allowed 19 hits in just 9.2 innings, and he has been in the middle of the plate to much.

A.J. Schugel makes his MLB debut: A.J. Schugel made his major-league debut today after being called up when Gerald Laird went on the D.L. He pitched 3 innings giving up 3 earned runs and 1 home run. The results weren’t great, but he gave the Dbacks innings which was the most important part.

A.J. Pollock gets it done again: A.J. Pollock is once again thriving in the lead-off spot this season. He had one hit but it was a big 3 run double in the 9th to pull the Dbacks to within 3. He is hitting .286 and getting on base. He needs to stay healthy for a full year, and if he does, he is in for a breakout year.

Post Game Grades:

Next Up:

The Diamondbacks go on the road for the first time this season and start a series with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Rubby De La Rosa faces Andrew Cashner at 7:10 P.M.