Dodgers at Diamondbacks
After losing eight of their first nine meetings with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Arizona Diamondbacks stood up for themselves and gave their home fans a thrill with an 18-7 triumph on Saturday. The cellar-dwelling Diamondbacks look to build off a franchise-best offensive outburst as they vie for their first series victory at home this season on Sunday. Paul Goldschmidt homered twice, collected a career-best six RBIs and scored a franchise-high five times as Arizona belted out a season-best 21 hits in the rout.
Yasiel Puig continued his torrid stretch by homering for the second straight contest and extending his career-best hitting streak to 16 games. In addition to that gaudy stretch, Puig has recorded an extra-base hit and an RBI in a franchise-high eight consecutive contests. Josh Collmenter has struggled when facing Puig, who is 2-for-4 versus the hurler with a homer and double while driving in four runs.
TV: 4:10 ET, SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN (Arizona)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Dan Haren (5-1, 2.84 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Josh Collmenter (1-2, 3.89)
Haren has overcome stiffness in his back to put forth a respectable showing this season. The 33-year-old has permitted three earned runs in three straight trips to the mound and four of his last six outings but owns a 4-1 mark in that stretch. Haren has kept the ball in the park (three homers in 50 2/3 innings) this season and defeated Arizona twice in a seven-day stretch to improve to 4-1 lifetime versus the National League West rival.
Collmenter has been fortunate to escape with three straight no-decisions despite yielding 13 runs and four homers in his last three outings. The 28-year-old has struggled against the Dodgers, falling to 3-6 in his career after allowing four runs on five hits over six innings in a 4-1 setback on April 20. Collmenter has permitted less than three earned runs in two of six starts this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Goldschmidt collected four hits on Saturday after going 3-for-26 in his previous seven games.
2. Los Angeles LF Carl Crawford, who belted a three-run homer on Saturday, has collected at least one hit in 10 of his last 11 games.
3. Sunday marks the 10-year anniversary of Arizona LHP Randy Johnson's perfect game versus Atlanta. Johnson will throw out the first pitch to Robby Hammock, who was the catcher in that contest.