Dodgers 7 - 4 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

Dodgers top D-Backs in series-opener

Aug 6, 2011 - 6:27 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Casey Blake went 3-for-5 and scored during the Dodgers' six-run third inning, boosting Los Angeles over the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-4, in the opener of a three-game series.

Rod Barajas homered and drove in three runs and Juan Rivera reached base four times with an RBI single and three walks for the Dodgers, who got six effective innings from Chad Billingsley (10-9) to win for the third time in four games.

Josh Collmenter (6-7) was tagged for six runs on eight hits in just 2 1/3 innings to take the loss, the Diamondbacks' second straight. They remained a half-game behind San Francisco for first in the NL West.

Collmenter left the bases loaded in the first inning before imploding in the third. Dee Gordon sparked the big frame with a leadoff bunt single, then stole second and scored when Justin Upton misplayed Blake's base hit to right.

Andre Ethier followed with an RBI double, and Matt Kemp and Rivera each added singles, the latter plating a run. Kemp scored on Aaron Miles' sacrifice fly to center, and Collmenter was mercifully pulled after surrendering another base hit.

Barajas greeted reliever Micah Owings with an inning-capping two-run double for a 6-0 advantage.

"All season we've kind of struggled to score runs, so when you have an inning like that where everything's going good, guys are getting on base, you want to try to keep that going," said Barajas.

Upton tripled and scored on a Chris Young sac fly to get the hosts on the board in the sixth, while Gerardo Parra and Willie Bloomquist each knocked in a run in the seventh to pull within three.

"We pushed them in the end," said Arizona manager Kirk Gibson. "Hopefully we play better tomorrow."

Barajas took Bryan Shaw over the wall in right-center in the eighth to get a run back.

Young scored on a Miguel Montero sac fly in the bottom half, but Javy Guerra recorded the final four outs to post his 10th save of the season.

Game Notes

Billingsley, who was charged with three runs on seven hits, has alternated wins and losses over his last seven outings...Owings lasted 4 2/3 innings...Bloomquist had three hits in defeat.






Related News