Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chris Taylor celebrates in the dugout after scoring against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun
BY BETH HARRIS contributing
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts launched his career-high 36th home run, David Peralta went 3 for 4 and drove in a pair of runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-1 on Tuesday night for their fourth consecutive win at home.
Clayton Kershaw (12-4) allowed one run and three hits in five innings, struck out five and walked three. He tied Don Drysdale (209) for second on the franchise wins list.
“I don’t know that I ever got going, honestly,” Kershaw said. “Another one that wasn’t super pretty. It’s pretty impressive what our team’s doing right now. Everybody from Mookie on down contributed.”
The Dodgers pounded out 16 hits while improving to 23-4 in August. Freddie Freeman leads the majors with 176 hits, but he was the only Dodger without one. Jason Heyward was 3 for 4 with two RBIs, while Chris Taylor was 3 for 3 with an RBI and a run on his 33rd birthday and his bobblehead night.
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“It was a complete win, full offense, baserunning, defense, pitching,” Taylor said. “We’ve just been playing really good baseball and kind of taking that mentality of passing the baton to the next guy has been working for us.”
Betts sent a 428-foot shot into left-center on the first pitch from reliever Scott McGough leading off the sixth. One out later, Will Smith homered, extending the lead to 9-1. Betts and Freeman took the rest of the night off.
Kershaw is working his way back from being sidelined by left shoulder inflammation. He returned Aug. 10 from a stint on the IL and the Dodgers are carefully managing the 35-year-old lefty.
“Clearly he didn’t have his best stuff, but he was going to get through five innings,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He showed grit to find a way to get the job done.”
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The Dodgers jumped on Merrill Kelly (10-6) in the first, scoring three runs. Former Diamondback Peralta had a RBI double down the first-base line and Jason Heyward added a two-run RBI double, giving the Dodgers 301 runs with two outs this season.
“We got to a really good pitcher who’s having a great year,” Taylor said about Kelly.
Miguel Rojas’ had a RBI single in the second and the Dodgers led 6-0 in the third on Peralta’s RBI single and Taylor’s RBI double.
Arizona’s lone run was a solo shot by Corbin Carroll leading off the fifth.
The Dodgers had three bloop hits in the fifth. James Outman sacrificed into a double play with the bases loaded, scoring Max Muncy, who walked leading off.
Kelly (10-6) gave up seven runs and 12 hits in five innings, struck out one and walked three. The right-hander fell to 0-11 in 16 career starts against the Dodgers.
Things got so bad for the D-backs, backup catcher Jose Herrera pitched the eighth. He completed a 1-2-3 inning although his fat pitches resembled balloons and only one registered over 50 mph.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: DH J.D. Martinez (groin) worked in the batting cage and he “feels really good to go,” Roberts said.
WORLD CHAMPS
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The El Segundo Little League World Series champions visited Dodger Stadium two days after their walk-off win against Curaçao.
They walked the warning track from center field to behind home plate, soaking up applause the entire way.
Wearing their jerseys and carrying their mitts, the team attended batting practice and got autographs from the Dodgers and D-backs. The team watched the game in the home-run seats in left field.
“I’m exhausted but I wouldn’t give it up for the world,” manager Danny Boehle said. “We’re the No. 1 team in the world. That’s pretty special.”
Roberts said he played Little League, but never reached the World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
“It’s quite the feat, quite the experience,” he said.
Someone mentioned to Roberts that now it’s the Dodgers’ turn to make a title run.
“Hopefully we can follow their lead,” he said.
UP NEXT
D-backs: RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-6, 5.91 ERA) makes his second career start against the Dodgers in the series finale.
Dodgers: RHP Ryan Pepiot will be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start Wednesday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb