Diamondbacks 3 - 5 Dodgers
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Dodgers try to get closer to NL West crown

Sep 10, 2013 - 2:44 PM (Sports Network) - After snapping a recent slide with their best power surge in seven years, the Los Angeles Dodgers try to move closer to securing the NL West title on Tuesday night as they resume a three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers cut their magic number for securing their first division crown since 2009 to eight with Monday's 8-1 victory that featured six Los Angeles homers. Three came off the bat of Juan Uribe.

Uribe belted three solo homers after having gone deep just once since July 31. He became the first Dodger to hit three home runs in a game since Andre Ethier on June 26, 2009.

"I just waited for the ball tonight," Uribe said. "I'm happy I helped the team win."

Ethier and Hanley Ramirez hit solo homers and Adrian Gonzalez added a two-run shot as the Dodgers snapped a four-game slide by hitting the most home runs in a game since going deep seven times against San Diego on Sept. 18, 2006.

Ricky Nolasco benefited from the run support and won his seventh straight decision after allowing just one unearned run on three hits and a walk over 6 2/3 frames.

"Nolasco has been pitching well ... and we just haven't been swinging the bats," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said.

Randall Delgado remained winless since Aug. 2 as he surrendered four of the home runs and five runs in all over 2 2/3 innings.

Arizona, which has lost six of its past nine, is 12 games behind Los Angeles in the standings and nine games behind Cincinnati for the NL's second wild card.

Trevor Cahill will try to keep the D'backs' fading playoff hopes alive and remain undefeated in his career against the Dodgers. He is 1-0 in two starts against them this year, allowing two runs over 14 1/3 innings, and 5-0 with a 2.10 ERA in eight career matchups.

The 25-year-old righty is 3-0 with a 3.29 ERA in five games (4 starts) since returning from a right hip contusion. He pitched well enough to beat San Francisco on Thursday, scattering six hits and four walks over five innings. Both runs he allowed came in the fourth, but Arizona rallied back with four runs in the top of the fifth.

"It seems like I have one bad inning where I sort of lose it," Cahill said. "I got out of it with help from the right fielder. Then in the fifth, there were two outs and all of a sudden we're up. It's all about not giving up."

Cahill is 6-10 with a 4.35 ERA this season.

Edinson Volquez gets the call for the Dodgers hoping to put forth a better effort than his first start with the club.

Volquez went 9-10 with a 6.01 ERA with the San Diego Padres this year before getting released on Aug. 27. He signed with the Dodgers shortly thereafter and made his debut with the club in relief on Aug. 30.

The righty then made a start on Wednesday and yielded four runs on six hits over four innings, striking out four to no walks in losing a 7-5 decision.

Volquez, 30, has faced Arizona once this year and picked up a win in San Diego on May 5 after allowing one run over 6 2/3 frames. He is 2-2 versus the D'backs lifetime with a 3.78 ERA in eight starts.

The Diamondbacks are 7-6 versus the Dodgers this year, winning five of seven in Los Angeles. However, the Dodgers swept a three-game set in Arizona when the clubs last met from July 8-10.






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