Dodgers benefit from challenges in win over Diamondbacks

[August 27, 2014]  PHOENIX -- A career .307 hitter, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly was two-for-two on challenges Tuesday. They had as much to do with the Dodgers' six-run fourth inning as anything.

The Dodgers had five hits and benefited from reversed calls at home plate and first base to keep their big fourth inning alive in a 9-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Left fielder Carl Crawford was ruled out at the plate as he attempted to score from second on a single in the middle of the inning, but the call was overturned after Mattingly challenged under Rule 7.13, which states the catcher must give the runner a lane to the plate.

Montero was ruled not to have blocked the plate, but while looking at the play in New York, review officials determined that Montero did not have the ball in his glove when he applied the tag. Crawford scored the third run of the inning for a 5-2 lead.

"If I can get them to look at the play at the plate, then they look at everything," Mattingly said of the Crawford play.

"You can't really see if he's blocking (the plate) or not, and I know that the umpires talk about it, but they're looking at lots of stuff. It's hard for them to look at everything, so that's why that rule's in place."
 

The fourth run of the inning scored when right-hander Roberto Hernandez (8-9) was ruled safe on a bang-bang play at first base after a Mattingly challenge. Hernandez originally was called out.

Right fielder Matt Kemp had a two-run home run in the first inning and second baseman Dee Gordon had three hits and an RBI for the Dodgers (75-58), who won for the fourth time in five games to maintain a five-game lead in the NL West.

Kemp, Crawford, third baseman Justin Turner and catcher A.J. Ellis also had two hits for the Dodgers.

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez singled, scored twice and capped the six-run fourth with a sacrifice fly. He has 93 RBIs against Arizona, the most of any active major leaguer.

Center fielder Ender Inciarte had two hits and drove three runs for the Diamondbacks (55-77), who lost eight of their last 10.

Arizona first baseman Mark Trumbo had two hits and an RBI.

"They did it right," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said of the review on Crawford's play at the plate.

"He asked them to review under 7.13, and they look at the whole play. It looked to me like the ball came right up into (Montero's) bare hand. That's a tough pick. He caught, came in his hand, he dove with his hands together. It was pretty close.

"You're at their mercy."

Hernandez (8-9) gave up six hits and three runs in six innings to win for the second time in four starts since being obtained from Philadelphia on Aug. 7.

Diamondbacks right-hander Trevor Cahill gave up six hits and eight runs (six earned) in 3 1/3 innings. He had made quality starts in his five previous appearances.

Cahill walked Gonzalez and Kemp to open the fourth inning before the Dodgers strung together singles by Crawford, Turner, Ellis, Hernandez and Gordon to knock out Cahill.

"He started off that fourth inning with two walks, then he was nibbling," Gibson said. "Got behind and was throwing balls down the middle of the plate, and they did a good job of getting on them. Eight runs later ..."

NOTES: Dodgers LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (right hip strain) threw a bullpen session Tuesday afternoon at Chase Field, and if he recovers well, he is a candidate to start Sunday at San Diego, manager Don Mattingly said. Ryu is eligible to return from the disabled list Saturday. RHP Roberto Hernandez also is a candidate to start Sunday, Mattingly said. ... Los Angeles LHP Paco Rodriguez (left shoulder strain) also threw a bullpen session. ... Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said he does not expect LHP Patrick Corbin to return until next May or June following his Tommy John surgery in late March. "We're more conservative now than we have ever been with the rehab on that surgery," Gibson said. "We are going to make sure we err on the side of very cautious." The D-backs lead the NL in player-games lost to injury and rookies used this season. ... Arizona RHP Daniel Hudson, recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, pitched a 1-2-3 first inning in his first rehab game at Triple-A Reno on Tuesday.

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