Pollock, Dodgers rally in eighth to beat Diamondbacks 8-7
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A.J. Pollock hit a key two-run double during an eighth-inning rally to help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-7 on Saturday.
Pollock tied it at 7 with a shot down the line against Yoshihisa Hirano and advanced to third when right fielder Adam Jones misplayed it. Pollock, a former Diamondback who signed with Los Angeles as a free agent this offseason, scored on Max Muncy’s sacrifice fly.
Pollock had two hits in the game and six RBIs over the four-game season-opening series against Arizona. The Dodgers went 3-1.
Cody Bellinger hit his fourth homer and had three hits, and Alex Verdugo drove in two.
Dylan Floro (1-0), the sixth Los Angeles pitcher, worked an inning of scoreless relief. Kenley Jansen got his first save.
Ketel Marte and Nick Ahmed each had two hits and two RBIs for Arizona. Starting pitcher Luke Weaver homered in his first game with Arizona but allowed five runs and six hits over 4 1/3 innings. Weaver’s homer came during a seven-run fourth, in which the Diamondbacks took a 7-4 lead. The right-hander was part of the return from St. Louis in exchange for slugger Paul Goldschmidt.
Los Angeles jumped ahead with three runs in the first and one in the third. The Dodgers got their first three batters aboard in the first before Enrique Hernandez had a one-out sacrifice fly and Verdugo hit a two-run double to the gap in right-center.
Bellinger extended the lead to 4-0 in the third with a home run to center on a 3-2 fastball by Weaver that he left near the middle of the zone.
Walker Buehler allowed one hit over the first three innings before Arizona got to him the second time through the order. The right-hander allowed five runs and five hits in his season debut.
Ildemaro Vargas led off the fourth with a double and scored on David Peralta’s single to center. Marte’s two-run single chased Buehler, and Ahmed’s two-run double off Pedro Baez gave Arizona a 5-4 lead. Weaver gave himself some insurance with a two-run homer to left on Baez’s fastball.
RECORD BOOK
The Dodgers set a franchise record with 42 runs in the four-game series. The previous mark was 37, set May 9-12, 1974 against San Diego.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Pitcher T.J. McFarland is scheduled to throw his next bullpen session Tuesday. The left-hander is on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his left shoulder.
Dodgers: Shortstop Corey Seager and third baseman Justin Turner were not in the starting lineup. Manager Dave Roberts said he prefers not to sit both on the same day, but Friday’s 13-inning game and Sunday being a day game after a night game were what prompted the move. Seager did come on as a pinch-hitter.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: Merrill Kelly will make his major league debut Monday when Arizona opens a three-game series in San Diego. The right-hander, who was selected in the eighth round by Tampa Bay in 2010, has spent the last four seasons with the SK Wyverns in Korea.
Dodgers: Left-hander Julio Urias makes his season debut as Los Angeles opens a three-game set with San Francisco on Monday. Urias was limited to four innings of relief in three games last season after missing most of the year due to shoulder surgery.
