LOS ANGELES -- For the first time, the trumpets sounded at Dodger Stadium, played by a live musician to the enthusiasm of an electrified crowd.
They signaled the entrance of closer Edwin Díaz coming into the ballgame with a one-run lead courtesy of right fielder Kyle Tucker.
The Dodgers addressed their biggest weaknesses from last year with Díaz and Tucker, the best available free agents in the bullpen and the outfield. And both delivered in Friday night's 5-4 win over the D-backs: Díaz converted his first save with a scoreless ninth inning, after Tucker knocked in the go-ahead run on an RBI single in the eighth.
Through seven innings, the Dodgers had just two hits: a solo homer from Alex Freeland and a go-ahead three-run blast from Mookie Betts, both of which came in the third inning. After Betts' long ball, D-backs pitchers set down 14 straight Dodgers hitters.
After the Dodgers surged in front in the third, the D-backs came back to knot the score at 4-4, chasing right-hander Emmet Sheehan with one out in the fourth. Sheehan left runners on second and third for left-hander Jack Dreyer, who allowed both to score -- but after that, the L.A. bullpen that had been much-maligned last season matched Arizona's pitching staff, zero for zero.
It was Freeland who broke up the string of 14 straight Dodgers retired, leading off the eighth with a double. He moved over to third on a Shohei Ohtani groundout, then scored when Tucker laced a base hit to right field.
Díaz worked around a walk in the ninth inning but stranded the tying run on second base to slam the door on Arizona.