D-backs drop another one to division-rival Dodgers

PHOENIX -- Saturday was supposed to belong to Wade Miley.

It was his turn against the Dodgers, and his chance to shut down the division rival. Getting the D-backs back into the win column while adding stability to a rotation in transition seemed like a logical plan.

Nothing happened according to plan.

Miley missed his spots, the Dodgers seemed to rarely miss his pitches and the result was an 8-5 Los Angeles victory.

Miley offered no excuses after the game.

"I just didn't have it tonight," he said. "I didn't locate. I wouldn't say I was pressing at all. I just didn't locate and that's what it boils down to."

It's been an eventful few days for Arizona's starting rotation and there's still one more day left in the weekend.

On Friday afternoon, the club signed veteran starter Randy Wolf to a Minor League deal to add depth to the pitching staff. A few hours later, starter Randall Delgado was moved to the bullpen and reliever Josh Collmenter was tabbed to start Monday against the Mets.

It's uncertain what the enigmatic Trevor Cahill will bring when he steps on the mound Sunday in the finale against the Dodgers, but the D-backs had high hopes for Miley.

Those hopes likely came into question when Miley walked the first batter he faced to start the game.

"[Miley] had no command at all. He had no feel for the strike zone," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "He just struggled the whole five innings while he was out there and didn't give us what we needed."

In the end, Miley was charged with five runs on eight hits in five innings, matching his shortest start of the season, which also came against the Dodgers on Opening Day in Australia. Miley also struck out four batters and walked three.

"We don't like losing and it never makes you feel good," Gibson said. "Guys are pressing and trying to reverse this cycle and trend. When it continues to happen it's frustrating, but we have a game [Sunday] and have to get over it, come back."

The Dodgers are now 4-0 against the D-backs (4-10) this season and they wasted little time Saturday.

Los Angeles scored first in the second inning on a two-run single by Juan Uribe for an early lead. Adrian Gonzalez led off the frame with a walk and Scott Van Slyke followed with a double to set the stage for Uribe.

Gonzalez hit a two-run home run on the first pitch, his second home run in as many nights, to extend the Los Angeles lead to 4-0 in the third inning.

In the fourth, Justin Turner led off the inning with a double to the gap in left-center field and came home on a single up the middle by Yasiel Puig for his team's fifth run of the game.

"I just didn't execute pitches and be where I wanted to be," Miley said. "You go 2-0 or 3-1 to these guys and they are going to hurt you and that's what happened."

The Dodgers threatened again in the fifth but Miley escaped unscathed. He would also not throw another pitch. A.J. Pollock pinch-hit for Miley to lead off the bottom of the fifth and hit a home run.

It would be one of the few highlights of the night for the home team.

"Everybody is trying to do too much and that's what happens," Gibson said."They want to pick each other up. It happens in this game when you get in streaks like this. Everybody is trying and everybody is preparing but the game is not coming easy to them right now."

The D-backs tacked on a run in the eighth and three more in the bottom of the ninth but it was not enough.

"It's one of those buildings where you know things can get started," said manager Don Mattingly, who needed closer Kenley Jansen to strike out Gerardo Parra for the final out with the tying run on deck. "A run scores and the next thing you know, they're on a roll. You worry about that. It's not quite Colorado, but pretty darn close."