LOS ANGELES — Zac Gallen pumped both arms and let out a guttural roar. A third straight curveball seemed to catch Freddie Freeman off guard, helping the Diamondbacks ace escape the fifth-inning threat, navigate through the two MVP candidates atop the Dodgers‘ vaunted lineup and move the quick-strike, upstart National League West runners-up one win away from the NL Championship Series.
Again, the Dodgers’ starting pitchers put them in an early hole. Again, a Dodgers offense expected to mask its rotation’s deficiencies came up mostly empty, misfiring with multiple opportunities to tie or take the lead. Again, the second-place team in the West is on the brink of stunning the division champions in the NLDS. After plating six runs in the first inning of Game 1, the Diamondbacks took it easier to start Game 2. They only scored three.
On Saturday, the early Arizona barrage against Clayton Kershaw was powerful and overwhelming. On Monday, the D-backs’ sudden fusillade against Bobby Miller was more calculated and patient. They chipped away at the Dodgers rookie with a medley of productive at-bats, including a walk, a bunt single, another two singles, a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout.
The result was another early hole for a Dodgers team unable to answer, now suddenly on the verge of another early playoff exit after Monday’s 4-2 defeat.
The Dodgers’ rotation came into the series depleted, but it hoped to count on Kershaw and Miller, who was making his playoff debut Monday. The two Dodgers starters combined for 87 pitches, nine runs allowed, three walks, one strikeout and six outs recorded.
Unlike Game 1, however, the Dodgers were always within striking distance. The bullpen kept them in it.
With Monday’s game sandwiched between off days, the Dodgers could utilize a plethora of relievers without worrying much about workload. Manager Dave Roberts didn’t wait long. Miller was removed after 52 pitches in 1.2 innings, departing with two runners on in the second inning. Brusdar Graterol took it from there.
With a 23-pitch relief outing, Graterol recorded as many outs as the Dodgers’ two starting pitchers in the series combined in two scoreless innings of work. The Dodgers’ bullpen bought time for the offense to muster something to cheer about for the 51,449 fans in attendance. As Graterol departed the mound with two outs in the fourth inning, he clapped his glove on the way to the dugout, imploring the fans to stay into it despite an offense that to that point had yet to break through.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. smokes solo homer in D-backs’ 4-2 victory over Dodgers
In the bottom of the inning, J.D. Martinez provided life with a solo homer, cutting the deficit to two. It would never get closer than that, despite the Dodgers’ chances against Gallen and the Diamondbacks’ bullpen.
In the fifth, the Dodgers put two runners on with one out as the lineup turned over to Mookie Betts and Freeman. Betts grounded into a force out. Gallen fooled Freeman with a third straight curveball, looping the pitch down the middle. The bat remained glued to Freeman’s shoulders. Gallen knew the significance, pumping his fists again and again as he glided back to the dugout.
The catalysts of the Dodgers’ lineup, Betts and Freeman, are 1-for-13 with three walks in the series.
Still, the Dodgers would get another chance an inning later, prompting a gutsy call for D-backs manager Torey Lovullo.
Again, Gallen put two of the first three Dodgers batters on base. Lovullo pulled his ace at 84 pitches, turning to rookie left-hander Andrew Saalfrank to force L.A.’s line change. Chris Taylor replaced Jason Heyward and walked to load the bases. Kiké Hernández replaced David Peralta and came through with an infield RBI single. The bases remained loaded. Again, the Dodgers trailed by two. Again, they would be stuck there.
Saalfrank struck out James Outman. Ryan Thompson induced a groundout from Kolten Wong. The Dodgers’ bench was emptied, save for backup catcher Austin Barnes. Their last best threat was extinguished.
Their offense had scored 11 runs in two regular-season starts against Gallen this season. October was not the same, though in so many ways it has been.
Last year, the Dodgers offense went 5-for-34 with runners in scoring position, as the Padres sent the NL’s top seed packing in the NLDS. This year, the Dodgers offense has started 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Now, they’ll need to win three straight to prevent the D-backs from following the Padres’ lead as the series returns to Arizona.
Rowan Kavner covers the Dodgers and MLB as a whole for FOX Sports. He previously was the Dodgers’ editor of digital and print publications. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.
Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
