Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman celebrates after hitting a double against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
BY BETH HARRIS contributing
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward hit two-run homers in the third inning, Mookie Betts had his 18th multi-hit game in August and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-0 on Wednesday night for a three-game sweep.
The Dodgers’ 24 wins in August is the most since the franchise moved to Los Angeles. They are one win away for the most in a month, set by the Brooklyn Dodgers in July 1947 and August 1953.
“It’s tremendous, but we’ve still got a ways to go,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
The NL West leaders won their fourth in a row overall and fifth straight at home, outscoring the D-backs 23-5 in the series and finishing with their 13th shutout of the season. The Dodgers outhit the D-backs 38-20.
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“It was good to see us not let off the gas,” Roberts said.
Freeman hit his MLB-leading 51st double in the fourth, leaving him one shy of tying Johnny Frederick (1929) for most in franchise history. Freeman leads the majors in extra-base hits with 78 and is tied for first in hits with 178.
Betts, who singled in the first, reached on an infield single to short leading off the third. Freeman followed with a 440-foot blast — third-longest for the Dodgers this season — into right field for a 2-0 lead.
Betts’ two hits raised his batting average in August to .453. He joins Andre Ethier, Pedro Guerrero and Willie Davis as the only Dodgers to hit .450 or better in a month with at least 75 plate appearances.
David Peralta was safe at first on a fielding error by D-backs starter Brandon Pfaadt (1-7). That set up Heyward, who homered to right for a 4-0 lead.
Max Muncy’s two-run RBI double with two outs in the fourth extended the lead to 6-0.
The Dodgers ended July with a 2 1/2-game lead over San Francisco. Now they’re ahead by 14 1/2 games over the Giants.
“It’s a long year, that’s why we try to keep our heads the entire year,” Muncy said. “You’re going to have ups and you’re going to have downs. It’s also why it’s 162 (games). It takes a lot to make it through and stay on top through the whole thing.”
Freeman grounded out to first with the bases loaded to end the fifth. He got the rest of the night off in the eighth.
The Dodgers’ Ryan Pepiot (1-0) allowed two hits in five innings of his third major league start. The right-hander struck out three and walked one.
“Just being able to navigate and just try to get weak contact and guys made some good plays behind me,” Pepiot said. “And run support always helps.”
Ryan Yarbrough earned his second save with four hitless innings of relief. He struck out four.
“Both Ryans were fantastic,” Roberts said.
Pfaadt gave up six runs — five earned — and eight hits in four innings. He struck out four and walked two in his shortest outing since June 29 when he went two innings against Tampa Bay.
Arizona advanced just two runners as far as third base in the game. The D-backs were limited to six hits — two each by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and pinch-hitter Buddy Kennedy — in losing for the fourth time in five games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: DH J.D. Martinez (groin) will hit on the field Thursday and do a two-day rehab assignment with Triple A-Oklahoma City. If all goes well, he’ll rejoin the team next week in Washington. … RHP Joe Kelly (forearm) will throw a bullpen Friday and a simulated game Tuesday. … RHP Shelby Miller (neck) was due to arrive in LA on Wednesday night and will be activated at some point.
UP NEXT
D-backs: After a day off Thursday, RHP Zach Davis (1-5, 6.93 ERA) starts Friday when they host the Baltimore Orioles for the first time since 2019.
Dodgers: RHP Lance Lynn (10-9, 5.56) starts Thursday in the series opener against the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves. He’s 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA since joining the Dodgers just before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
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