Game Recap #27 Los Angeles Dodgers @ Arizona Diamondbacks

Many people had the Los Angeles Dodgers pegged as a breakout team, led by star outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, as they went on a rampage throughout the National League in the early parts of the season. With both players now injured, Clayton Kershaw has the burden of keeping his team respectable, but since he plays every five games, there's a lot of times where the Dodgers look absolutely pitiful. Going up against hotshot rookie Wade Miley and the Arizona Diamondbacks at the hitter-friendly Chase Field in Phoenix likely won't aid the cause too much. However, it was Los Angeles who got the lead in the first inning as Mark Ellis, fresh off a nasty leg injury, was able to double his way aboard before moving to third on a Jerry Hairston, Jr. single, and then scoring on another double from Juan Rivera. A Luis Cruz single brought Hairston home before Miley calmed down to finish the inning. Arizona was next to score, as Dodgers starter Nathan Eovaldi got a little wild in the second inning, walking Jason Kubel, before giving up a Paul Goldschmidt double and another walk to Miguel Montero to load the bases. It looked as if Aaron Hill's double play would diffuse the situation, but Goldschmidt did score on a Stephen Drew single to make it 2-1. Los Angeles extended the lead to 3-1 with a Scott Van Slyke solo home run in the fourth inning. Scoring was at a premium from here on, with the Dodgers again striking in the seventh inning on a solo shot by Elian Herrera, which chased Miley from the game with a final line of 6 2/3 innings, eight hits and two walks yielding four earned runs and four strikeouts. Brad Ziegler finished up the inning with a walk and a strikeout. Eovaldi was not sent out to pitch for the seventh inning, ending with six innings pitched, allowing five hits and three walks but just one earned run and he struck out three. Scott Elbert pitched a perfect seventh inning, as well as Ziegler for the Diamondbacks and Ronald Belisario for the Dodgers in the eighth inning. Craig Breslow struggled for Arizona in the ninth inning, but kept the game within reach by allowing no runs. It didn't matter when Kenley Jansen shut the door with another perfect inning of relief for Los Angeles, securing a save for himself and a win for Eovaldi. Miley was stuck with the loss, proving that sometimes, even a little offense is enough to win.