Dodgers sweep Diamondbacks to finish perfect homestand

LOS ANGELES ― Trea Turner deed an unremarkable crushed shot to the close broadside of 2nd basal successful the sixth inning Wednesday night. The Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2nd baseman, Andrew Young, fielded the shot and threw it to archetypal basal successful a fluid motion. The propulsion was true.

Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, nary assemblage successful question is much fluid than Turner sprinting connected a shot diamond. He bushed the throw, Matt Beaty ran location from 3rd base, and the Dodgers had a invaluable security tally en way to a 5-3 triumph earlier an announced assemblage of 46,520 astatine Dodger Stadium.

The triumph allowed the Dodgers (94-53) to expanse the bid and implicit a 6-0 homestand against a brace of National League West rivals.

More importantly, it allowed them to summation a crippled connected the San Francisco Giants, who mislaid to the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers (94-53) way the Giants (95-51) by 1½ games for archetypal spot successful the National League West with 15 games remaining successful the regular season.

The Giants play the Padres again Thursday, portion the Dodgers person an off-day.

The astir encouraging improvement for the Dodgers, speech from the wins themselves, were the signs of beingness that emerged from their discourtesy arsenic the homestand drew to a close.

By Saturday, their corporate on-base percent had fallen to .327. The backmost fractional of their lineup was the weakest successful baseball, astatine slightest since the All-Star break.

Whether by onshore (Turner besides stole a basal Wednesday, his league-leading 29th of the season) oregon by aerial (Max Muncy homered for the 2nd consecutive day), the Dodgers discovered a assortment of ways to manufacture runs.

The bottommost of the lineup contributed plenty. No. 8 hitter Gavin Lux went 2 for 4 with a brace of RBI singles. No. 7 hitter Cody Bellinger contributed a azygous and an RBI groundout, extending his on-base streak to 4 games – his longest specified streak successful a month.

No. 6 hitter Will Smith went 2 for 3 with a double, and No. 5 hitter Justin Turner went 3 for 4. The Dodgers’ 14 hits were their astir successful a crippled since Aug. 15.

Dodgers starter Julio Urías did not let a deed until the 4th inning. A walk, a single, and a uncommon palmy stolen basal – lone the 2nd he’s allowed this play – acceptable up Henry Ramos for a two-run azygous that concisely gave Arizona a 2-1 lead.

But the Dodgers got the runs backmost successful the bottommost of the fourth, connected an RBI groundout by Bellinger followed by a Lux single. Muncy’s location run, a solo changeable against Merrill Kelly (7-10) successful the 5th inning, was his 34th of the season.

Urías (18-3) has won his past 5 starts and leads the majors successful victories. He walked 2 batters and struck retired 5 successful 5 innings.

Arizona got its lone tally against the Dodgers’ bullpen erstwhile Christian Walker took Phil Bickford heavy successful the sixth inning. Alex Vesia, Joe Kelly, Blake Treinen and Kenley Jansen closed the doorway connected the Dodgers’ penultimate homestand of the season.

Jansen struck retired the broadside successful the ninth inning to grounds his 33rd prevention of the season.

More to travel connected this story.