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 Ricky Nolasco dominated Arizona in his first game for the Dodgers, and Los Angeles beat the Diamondbacks 6-1 on Tuesday night. It was the 14th victory in 17 games for the Dodgers, who pulled within 2 1/2 games of first-place Arizona, which lost by the same score in the series opener Monday.
"We kicked it around, threw it around, we didn't swing the bats any good, we were unable to make any adjustments," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "It was no secret what he (Nolasco) was doing. We just couldn't get it done."
Kennedy (3-5) faced the Dodgers for the first time since serving a 10-game suspension for his role in a bench-clearing melee in Los Angeles last month. He allowed six runs, five earned, and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings.
Eaton, just activated from the disabled list after missing the entire season with an elbow injury, was 0 for 4 and stumbled on the center-field warning track while chasing Adrian Gonzalez's deep fly. He fell to the ground as the ball popped out of his glove and two runs scored.
"It is not how we drew it up, that is for sure," Eaton said. "That's the best way to sum it up -- a rough night all around."
Nolasco limited the Diamondbacks to four hits in seven innings.
"I was pretty pumped up," he said. "I haven't been that locked in in a long time. It worked out great. I was able to make good pitches. I was definitely excited. The energy and adrenaline was going those first few innings, so it was awesome."
Nolasco (6-8), acquired Saturday in a trade with the Miami Marlins, also doubled and singled, driving in a run and scoring another.
Gonzalez drove in three runs for Los Angeles but Hanley Ramirez went 0 for 4, snapping his 19-game hitting streak.
Kennedy hit Ramirez with a pitch in the first inning. Plate umpire Marvin Hudson warned both benches after Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario hit Miguel Montero in the leg with a pitch in the ninth. Belisario had warned after the brawl that "it's not over."
He repeated that sentiment after the game but insisted he didn't hit Montero on purpose.
"It's not over," Belisario said, "but it wasn't on purpose."
So it's still not over?
"No," he said.
Nolasco, who fanned five with no walks, shut out Arizona until the seventh, when Aaron Hill doubled off the glove of a diving Yasiel Puig in right field and scored on Martin Prado's single.
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Kennedy had made his last seven starts on the road, including the June 11 outing in Los Angeles, where he hit Puig and Greinke with high pitches in a testy game that included a bench-clearing melee. Of the eight suspensions that followed, Kennedy's was the most severe at 10 games, although he missed just one start.
The Arizona right-hander made things interesting in the first inning Tuesday when he plunked Ramirez in the shoulder. Nothing intentional, Kennedy said.
"Up-and-in changeup slipped out of my hand," he said.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly agreed.
"We know that Kennedy's not trying to hit Hanley," he said. "That was a changeup. They were just trying to get in. That's nothing."
Nolasco's two-out single to right brought in the game's first run in the second. A.J. Ellis and Skip Schumaker singled to start the inning, then Jerry Hairston Jr. grounded into a double play, leaving a runner at third with two outs as the pitcher came to the plate.
Andre Ethier led off the Dodgers fourth with a single. With Ethier running on the play, Ellis struck out but Montero's throw to second sailed into center field and Ethier wound up at third with one out. With the infield playing in to cut off the run, Schumaker bounced one to second, but Hill dropped the ball, ruining any chance for a play at the plate. Schumaker was thrown out at first, but the unearned run scored to make it 2-0.
Nolasco opened the fifth with a double to right-center, then Carl Crawford reached on a bunt single and Puig walked to load the bases with no outs. Gonzalez lofted one to deep center, where Eaton lost his footing on the warning track, and as he fell to the ground the ball popped out of his glove for an error. Two runs scored to make it 4-0.
Puig came barreling around third on the play and attempted to score, but Montero took the relay throw from shortstop Didi Gregorius. Puig shoved Montero as the tag was applied, then the two stared at each other as the young Dodgers star walked toward the dugout.
"He plays with a lot of arrogance," Kennedy said. "I don't know if he was trying to run (Montero) over or what."
After Kennedy walked two to load the bases in the sixth, Gonzalez's two-run single off Tony Sipp broke it open at 6-0.
Gregorius robbed Schumaker with a soaring grab of a line drive to end the Los Angeles seventh.
NOTES: Kennedy leads the NL with 10 hit batters. Detroit RHP Doug Fister leads the majors with 13. ... Arizona 3B Eric Chavez was a late scratch with a sore hip. ... Los Angeles pitchers have five hits in the first two games of the series. ... Seeking a sweep, the Dodgers send Hyun-Jin Ryu (7-3, 2.82 ERA) to the mound and Arizona counters with Tyler Skaggs (2-1, 3.65) in a matchup of left-handers Wednesday night.
[Associated
Press; By BOB BAUM]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
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