PHOENIX — The “Beat L.A.” chants at Chase Field seemed to rise organically, celebrating Diamondbacks rookie Tommy Troy’s trip around the bases after tying the score with his first career home run.
Then the massive videoboard in center field prompted another surge from the home fans. And the Diamondbacks followed through, as the Dodgers fell 4-1.
A quiet offensive night for the Dodgers wasted a quality start from Emmet Sheehan. And while the Diamondbacks racked up three home runs in the sixth through eighth innings, the Dodgers (38-22) failed to score after the third.
Sheehan held the Diamondbacks (32-27) to two runs and three hits in 6⅓ innings, carrying forward a recent trend for the Dodgers’ rotation, which entered Monday with a National League-best 3.05 ERA.
“I think it’s probably the back half of the rotation,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “To see what [Justin Wrobleski’s] done, to see what Roki [Sasaki] has done, to see what Emmet’s done — I think for me we’ve raised the floor of the starting rotation. The top end guys are kind of who they are, which is great. But every night we have a really good chance to win because of the starting pitcher.”
Monday was another one of those nights. But the Dodgers’ offense didn’t hold up its half of the bargain.
Sheehan — like Wrobleski and Sasaki this week — benefited from an uptick in velocity. His fastball averaged 95.9 mph on Monday, a season high and 1.7 mph above his average.
Sheehan’s velocity has wavered all season, which he and the team attributed to inconsistent mechanics.
“It’s definitely been a process,” pitching coach Mark Prior said last month about syncing Sheehan’s delivery. “And it’s been a grind for him. Because he feels like some days he has it, some innings he has it; and other innings he doesn’t. It’s been kind of a roller coaster for him. It’s just part of the game.”
At times, his lower half was opening too quickly, throwing off the way his legs worked with his upper half. But on the days his timing was in sync, his velocity would often tick up, and everything would fall into place.
On Monday he was nearly perfect through the first 5⅓ innings, with the exception of Corbin Carroll’s first-inning double. He’d induced plenty of soft contact, plus three strikeouts, all in the first two innings. All three were put away with sliders.
Then with one out in the sixth, Sheehan tried to work back from a first-pitch ball with a fastball up to Diamondbacks rookie Troy. The No. 9 hitter roped it beyond left field.
After the Arizona lineup turned over and Sheehan retired Ketel Marte and Carroll to get out of the inning, Roberts stuck with the right-hander against switch-hitting Geraldo Perdomo and right-handed Nolan Arenado in the seventh.
With one out, Sheehan hung a slider to Arenado, who put the Diamondbacks up with a solo blast. And that would spell the end of Sheehan’s strong outing.
Reliever Jack Dreyer gave up a two-run homer to Marte in the eighth inning to round out the Diamondbacks’ scoring.
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