Dodgers’ Chris Taylor celebrates birthday with big day against Diamondbacks
LOS ANGELES ― In the seventh inning of Tuesday’s game between the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, a chorus of “Happy Birthday” rose up from the left field bleacher seats. Chris Taylor turned and acknowledged the crowd with a wave of his hand.
By that point in the Dodgers’ 9-1 win, fans had enough reasons to celebrate the game on the field. They had turned to celebrating Taylor’s 33rd birthday, a night that began with him catching a ceremonial first pitch from his father and ended with a nifty line for the veteran utility player: 3 for 3 with two doubles, a walk, and a stolen base.
Mookie Betts established a new personal single-season best with his 36th home run, Will Smith also homered, and Clayton Kershaw (12-4) threw five strong innings despite throwing nothing faster than 91 mph.
For the second straight day, the Dodgers got strong contributions from the back end of their lineup against an elite pitcher.
Taylor, David Peralta, Jason Heyward, James Outman and Miguel Rojas combined for 14 hits and seven RBIs. Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly (10-6) found himself trailing 5-0 after three innings. His ERA rose from 2.97 to 3.31 after allowing seven earned runs in five innings.
“We’ve done a really good job of not trying to do too much,” Taylor said. “Everybody just having good at-bats, passing it on to the next guy ― that approach has really worked for us, especially against some of those pitchers who are having really good seasons.”
In Monday’s win, the Dodgers became the first team ever to hit four home runs against Zac Gallen, who started the All-Star Game for the National League in July.
The Dodgers (82-49) have won six of their last seven games to take a commanding 14-game lead over Arizona (69-64), which slipped a half-game behind the San Francisco Giants in the desultory race for second place in the National League West.
A month from now, when the Dodgers reflect on the kind of offense and pitching they will need to win in the postseason, their wins Monday and Tuesday might be a good place to start. Of the Dodgers’ nine starters, only Freddie Freeman did not collect a hit.
“As hitters you don’t make your money on guys like Gallen and Kelly,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s the (fourth and fifth starters), you catch a lead, then the lower bullpen guys, you sort of make hay on those guys. With what we did the last couple nights, it’s another little validation or confidence for an offense that’s had a really good year, because those two (pitchers) are as good as they come.”
Roberts saved his highest praise for Kershaw, who was limited to two innings in his last start by inclement weather.
The only blemish on his ledger Tuesday was a solo home run by Corbin Carroll, just the third home run ever hit by a left-handed hitter against Kershaw’s curveball. The rest of his 79 pitches were a masterclass in location, deceptiveness, guile, and rising to the occasion.
“This guy is one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever seen,” Roberts said of Kershaw. “What I saw was will, compete, and just tenacity. He wasn’t going to be denied. Clearly he didn’t have his best stuff, but he was going to get through five innings, find a way to give us a chance to win a ballgame, and when you think you can’t have more respect for a player, he goes out and does something like this.”
Kershaw’s 22 career victories against Arizona are the most by any Diamondbacks opponent. His 209 career wins are tied with Don Drysdale for the second-most in franchise history, trailing only Don Sutton (233).
“That just means I’ve been here for a long time and been a part of some really great teams,” Kershaw said.
Gus Varland, Tyson Miller and Victor Gonzalez combined to throw four shutout innings in relief of Kershaw.
Arizona had won 10 of its last 12 games before Monday, but the Dodgers are poised to sweep with a win Wednesday.