PHOENIX — The final score will say the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers 5-3.
But really, the Dodgers simply beat themselves.
After jumping out to a three-run, first-inning lead, the Dodgers stumbled over every other opportunity Tuesday night, losing for the first time this season a game in which they at one point held the lead.
On offense, they hit into five double plays, went just two for eight with runners in scoring position and were caught stealing. In the third inning, an error from Gavin Lux and sporadic command from Tony Gonsolin led to three Arizona runs.
The deciding blow resulted from a Dodgers mistake, as well. With one on and no outs in the bottom of the eighth, Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol tried to throw a low slider. However, the ball stayed up and over the plate, allowing David Peralta to crush a 433-foot home run.
Much like Monday’s series opener, the Dodgers didn’t wait long to jump in front Tuesday night.
They loaded the bases in the top of the first on back-to-back walks from Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner and an infield single by Max Muncy, who reached after Geraldo Perdomo failed to cleanly field a hard grounder.
That brought Will Smith to the plate with two outs. On a 2-and-1 count, the catcher hammered a sinker over the plate into right-center field, scoring all three runners with his third double of the season.
Gonsolin, meanwhile, was solid for the first couple of innings before running into trouble in the third, giving up a single and walk, then throwing a wild pitch, to put runners on second and third with no outs.
In the next at-bat, Gonsolin got Daulton Varsho to hit a routine ground ball to second. As one run scored, Lux fired what should have been an easy throw to first. However, he misfired badly, pulling his throw wide of the bag even after a diving effort by Freeman. The ball hit the backstop. Another run scored while Varsho took second.
An at-bat later, Pavin Smith singled up the middle to tie the game.
The Dodgers had plenty of chances to respond. Smith drew a leadoff walk in the fourth, but it was wiped out by a Cody Bellinger double-play grounder. Turner singled to lead off the sixth, but then Justin Turner rolled another double-play ball to second.
The worst blunder came in the seventh. After Chris Taylor and Hanser Alberto both singled with one out, Mookie Betts laced a line drive to left. Taylor was running from second base on contact and never looked back to see that Peralta made a catch in the gap, easily doubling off Taylor with a throw to second.
The Dodgers had one more chance to go in front in the eighth, when Smith came to the plate with the bases loaded again. This time, however, he pounded a bouncer to third base, triggering one more double play moments before Peralta hit the game-deciding blast.
Injury updates
There were some familiar faces in the Dodgers clubhouse Tuesday, as Dustin May, Victor González and Danny Duffy — who have all been rehabbing injuries at the team’s nearby Camelback Ranch spring training complex — showed up at the ballpark.
May and González threw bullpen sessions, while Duffy told reporters he recently began his throwing progression.
May is coming back from Tommy John surgery and said he is still targeting a return during the latter-third of the season. Duffy is coming off a flexor tendon surgery this offseason that will likely keep him out until at least June, though manager Dave Roberts didn’t have an exact return date. They are both on the 60-day injured list.
González had a good spring training but landed on the 10-day injured list to start the season because of elbow inflammation. Roberts said he is close to going out on rehab assignment.
Short hops
Roberts confirmed that Tyler Anderson will make his second consecutive start in Friday’s series-opener against the Detroit Tigers, with Andrew Heaney still on the injured list. Roberts said Heaney, who is battling shoulder discomfort, has not resumed throwing yet.
____
