Grandal's walk-off ends duel as Dodgers sweep
LOS ANGELES -- Yasmani Grandal led off the 13th with a home run to left-center as the Dodgers walked off the D-backs, 1-0, on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
"At that point in the game, obviously you're out of bullets, you're out of players, you're pretty much in a game you don't want to be in," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said of the 13th inning. "Unless you win."
Grandal's first career walk-off homer came just after the D-backs narrowly missed scoring in the top of the inning when Dodger reliever J.P. Howell made a circus tag of Jordan Pacheco, who was trying to score on a wild pitch.
Video: ARI@LAD: Howell tags out Pacheco at home in the 13th
"The last play we made [an] out on, Pacheco tries to score and the guy tags him behind him," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "It was clearly out. It was just a fantastic play by the catcher and the pitcher Howell. It just wasn't going to happen today, I guess." More >
The Anderson's -- Chase for the D-backs and Brett for the Dodgers -- battled to a draw, with each tossing six scoreless innings before turning things over to the bullpens.
Video: ARI@LAD: C. Anderson fans seven over six scoreless
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Tagged, just in time: Howell quickly covered the plate in the top of the 13th, took catcher Grandal's throw, and tagged Pacheco in the same motion as the D-backs' catcher tried to score a tie-breaking run on a pitch in the dirt that rolled about 12 feet from the plate. More >
Got him at third: With one out in the bottom of the ninth. Howie Kendrick lined one to the gap in right-center. Right fielder Mark Trumbo had a little trouble picking up the ball and Kendrick decided to try for third. Second baseman Chris Owings' relay throw beat Kendrick, and Yasmany Tomas dropped his leg down and blocked Kendrick from the bag while applying the tag.
Great start: Left-hander Brett Anderson turned in his best start to date for the Dodgers. He went six scoreless innings, allowed five hits, walked none and struck out four in his fifth start for his new team. Anderson threw 86 pitches, 57 for strikes, and exited with a scoreless tie.
Video: ARI@LAD: B. Anderson tosses six scoreless frames
Tomas brings the glove: There were questions raised about Tomas' defense at third base this spring, but he seems to be getting more comfortable there. He made a diving play on Alex Guerrero's grounder in the second, and then he did a nice job starting a double play to end that inning. Later in the game he did commit an error when he was playing on the right side of the infield as part of a defensive shift.
Video: ARI@LAD: Tomas dives and throws out Guerrero at first
QUOTABLE
"The feed [from Grandal] was money. A lot of it was luck. It was a great play, but I'll take the luck." -- Howell, on his tag on Pacheco
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The Dodgers' bullpen tossed seven scoreless innings Sunday and has not given up a run in its last 26 innings of work.
Video: ARI@LAD: Rodriguez induces groundout to escape jam
WHAT'S NEXT
D-backs: The D-backs open a three-game series with the Rockies at Coors Field on Monday at 6:40 p.m. MT. Josh Collmenter will get the ball in the opener coming off one of his best starts of the year, which was against the Rockies at Chase Field.
Dodgers: Left-hander Clayton Kershaw (1-2, 3.73) will be on the mound Monday night, as the Dodgers open a four-game series against the Brewers at Miller Park at 4:20 p.m. PT.
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