Late Tuesday night, word came out from manager Torey Lovullo that the D-backs would be going with an opener in Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers. Roster moves were incoming, said Lovullo, and intrigue swirled around what the moves would be and what it all meant for Ryne Nelson.
Ultimately the team called up lefty Brandon Hughes to serve as the opener, and when Slade Cecconi was the one optioned, it became clear Nelson would be the “bulk” pitcher following Hughes.
This was the second time this series the D-backs employed the opener strategy, and it worked like a charm this time around as the D-backs shut out the Dodgers 6-0 to take the series 2-1. Hughes retired two of the three batters he faced and then turned it over to Nelson to get the last out of the first inning.
Nelson went on to complete five gutsy shutout innings. He stranded Mookie Betts at third base in the third inning. He got out of a second and third, one out jam in the fourth inning. Then he he gave up a single and walk to start the fifth but got out of that jam too.
Nelson’s Houdini act was not over yet. After two Dodger singles started the sixth inning, Andy Pages hit a ground ball to Ketel Marte who started an unusual 4-5-6-2 double play by stepping on second base and then getting Teoscar Hernandez in a rundown. Marte’s heads up play marked the end of Nelson’s outing with five scoreless innings on five hits, three walks and five strikeouts.
Corbin Carroll ignited the offense by splitting the right center field gap with a bullet that went all the way to the wall for a two-run triple in the fifth inning. Prior to that, Tyler Glasnow had been dominating the D-backs lineup giving up just a couple of singles and striking out six through the first four innings.
Much like the rest of the league has been doing all year, Glasnow had been busting Carroll up and in with fastballs in his previous at bats. But he left a curveball over the plate, and Carroll was able to drill the pitch on a line.
Another trip-trip-triple from CC7 to break the ice! pic.twitter.com/nUD6djPh5P
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 23, 2024
Carroll also made an excellent leaping catch on a smash to centerfield wall by Betts. While he was just 1-for-5 on the night, he continues to look like a player coming out of a long slump. Carroll described an adjustment during the at bat.
“Mid at-bat I switched from a leg kick to a toe tap, choke up a little bit, with the runner on third, less than two [outs] you’ve got to get him in. So I shortened up and got a breaking ball that was down but still in the zone.”
The speedy centerfielder determined early on he was going for third base on the hit. Asked by Diamondbacks sideline reporter Todd Walsh how early he decided he was going, he said “Pretty early, I was going. I thought I’d get there clean, so we were going.”
Christian Walker hit a solo homer in 6th, his second homer in two nights. It was his 14th in Dodger Stadium, the most of any visiting player in MLB since 2017. His 20 homers and 48 RBI against the Dodgers since 2019 are the most in MLB as well. Walker also doubled and scored in the 8th inning.
Number 14 in Dodger stadium for C-Walk
Thats the most of any visiting player since 2017#Dbacks
— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) May 23, 2024
Ketel Marte extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a single in the first inning and a solo homer to lead off the eighth inning. That was a line drive rip that clanged off the foul pole.
Justin Martinez, Joe Mantiply, Kevin Ginkel, and Bryce Jarvis combined to record the final 10 outs and preserve the shutout.
This was the D-backs first shutout win at Dodger Stadium since 2017, and the first series victory in LA since 2018. Arizona is now 24-26, still a game back of the San Diego Padres for the third Wild Card.
Thursday is an off day for the Diamondbacks before starting a three game series against the Miami Marlins Friday night at 6:40 P.M. Zac Gallen starts for Arizona, and Braxton Garrett will bring his 10.24 ERA to Chase Field.
