LDN - Sports

Barrett keeps calm as D-backs fend off Dodgers

[July 18, 2016] PHOENIX -- Arizona catcher Tuffy Gosewisch had a simple message when he visited Jake Barrett on the mound in the ninth inning Sunday.

"I reminded him you have to breathe," Gosewisch said. "You have to relax. Nobody is good when they are tense. Just be yourself."

The message did not immediately take as Barrett gave up a two-run single to Justin Turner, but he recovered to strike out the final two batters with runners on first and third to preserve the Diamondbacks' 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field.

Rookie right-hander Barrett struck out Yasiel Piug on a 1-2 slider before getting Chris Taylor on three straight sliders for his second career save.

"It's a great pitch for him," Gosewisch said. "It's his out pitch, in my mind."

Jake Lamb homered and drove in two runs and left-hander Robbie Ray pitched seven scoreless innings as the Diamondbacks jumped to a 6-0 lead before hanging on to win their fourth home series.

Lamb's RBI single started a three-run first inning, and he later hit a solo homer in the fourth. He was 7-for-12 with two doubles, a triple and a homer in the three-game series.

Ray (5-8) gave up four hits and struck out seven.

The Dodgers scored all their runs in the final two innings, when Justin Turner drove in four with a two-run homer in the eighth inning and a two-run single in the ninth.

Pinch-hitter Chase Utley walked to open the ninth against Tyler Clippard before Howie Kendrick beat out a grounder to third base for an infield single.

Corey Seager doubled to right field to drive in Utley to make it 6-3, and Turner hit a two-run single on a 3-0 pitch from Barrett immediately after Gosewisch's trip to the mound to get the Dodgers within one.

Andrew Toles singled to center to put runners on the corners before Barrett used his slider to get the final two outs.

"I try my best to try not to think about the situation and just try to slow the game down," Barrett said. "Control my breathing and my tempo and try to throw strikes."

Michael Bourn had three hits and drove in a run and Lamb's two RBIs gave him a team-leading 65.

Lamb leads the National League with a .635 slugging percentage.

Seager had three doubles for the Dodgers (52-42), who have lost two in a row after winning four straight. He has 27 doubles, tied for the NL lead with Brandon Belt.

Turner followed Seager's double in the eighth inning with a two-run homer, the Dodgers' first hit in seven chances with runners in scoring position. They were 3-for-11 in those situations after going 1-for-15 in a 2-1, 12-inning loss Saturday.

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"You have to cash those guys in when you have them out there," said Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis, who struck out four times, once with no outs and the bases loaded in the second inning

"It is all about getting opportunities as well. So we will keep on getting guys on base and trust our guys in the long haul."

Bourn and Paul Goldschmidt singled with one out in the first off Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda (8-7) before Lamb singled to drive in the first run. Brandon Drury doubled to the fence in right-center field to drive in both runners for a 3-0 lead.

Ray got out of a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the second after Scott Van Slyke doubled, Puig was hit by a pitch and Taylor walked. Ray struck out Ellis on a 97-mph fastball, struck out Zach Walters on a 96-mph fastball and got Maeda to fly out.

Lamb's bases-empty homer in the third inning was his 21st. He is the fourth player in franchise history with 20-plus homers, 20-plus doubles and eight triples in the same season. Steve Finley (twice), Eric Byrnes and Stephen Drew are the others.

Maeda gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one. He did not give up more than four runs in any of his previous 18 starts.

NOTES: The way LHP Clayton Kershaw (herniated disk) recovers from his 60-pitch simulated game Saturday will determine when he returns to the rotation, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Everything with Clayton is on the table, but after that last live 'BP,' just making sure his body feels 100 percent and ready to come back," Roberts said. Kershaw has been sidelined since June 25. ... Arizona C/OF Chris Herrmann (hamstring) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, a day after he was forced into action as a pinch-hitter in the 10th inning of a 2-1 victory in 12 innings over the Dodgers. IF/OF Mike Freeman was purchased from Triple-A Reno to fill the roster spot. Freeman made his debut in majors in right field Sunday after 2,600 minor league at-bats over seven seasons. ... Dodgers IF/OF Zach Walters made his second major league start in right field when Roberts shuffled his defense to give 1B Adrian Gonzalez a day off against Arizona LHP Robbie Ray. ... Phoenix Mercury G Diana Taurasi threw out the first pitch. ... Umpire Dale Scott did not work Sunday after being forced to leave in the first inning Saturday when he took a foul ball off his face mask. Stu Scheurwater joined the crew.

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