Quick Hitters
Gila Ridge volleyball beats Calexico
The Hawks improved to 2-0 on the season with a 25-20, 23-25, 25-20, 25-11 victory at Calexico (CA) on Thursday. Katiana Oviedo (18 kills), Tayler Ellsworth (10 kills, 19 assists) and Jennifer Slater (9 kills, 5 aces) led the way.
Kofa sweeps Imperial
For the third time this week, the Kofa volleyball team won in straight sets, as the Kings beat Imperial (CA) 25-11, 25-15, 25-7 on Thursday at home. Keiley Sharp had four aces and nine kills, Laura Sanderson had eight digs and nine kills, Isabel Ponce had 29 assists and Alyssa Sergent had five aces and nine digs.
D-Backs beat Dodgers again to complete sweep
PHOENIX — The Los Angeles Dodgers have been swept in a series for the first time this season and former teammate Zack Greinke was a big reason why.
That and a parade of Arizona hits against another suddenly struggling Dodgers starter.
Greinke earned his major league-best 16th victory with six strong innings and the Diamondbacks wrapped up the three-game sweep with a dominant 8-1 victory on Thursday.
Chris Iannetta and A.J. Pollock homered for the Diamondbacks, who matched their season-best seventh straight victory and pulled 3 1/2 games ahead of idle Colorado for the National League’s top wild card spot.
The Dodgers, still with by far the best record in the majors (91-40), have lost a season-worst five in a row.
“Teams are going out and looking to play their best baseball against us and the clip that we were on for a few months obviously we were in rare company,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Did I foresee us losing five in a row? No. But I know we’ll turn it around.”
Greinke (16-6) allowed a run and four hits, striking out six and walking two, to improve to 13-1 in 16 home starts this season.
“It was just a great game,” he said. “Got a lot of runs. Amazing plays defensively. Couldn’t have got much better than that in that regard . ... Played flawlessly this whole series.”
The Dodgers’ Kenta Maeda (126) had arguably his worst outing of the year. The right-hander went just three innings and gave up seven runs and eight hits. It was his shortest start and the most runs he’s allowed this season.
“A lot of mislocated pitches,” he said through an interpreter, “and they took advantage of all of them.”
Paul Goldschmidt doubled twice and drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks. Gregor Blanco had three hits, two of them doubles, drove in a run and scored twice.
Arizona scored 21 runs in the three-game sweep and has won nine of 10.
“It’s just starting pitching this series wasn’t there,” Roberts said. “... We talk about you’re as good as your starting pitching so it was one of these series where for three days we didn’t have it.”
As has happened throughout the series, the Diamondbacks struck early.
Blanco, leading off, took advantage of a lackadaisical play by right fielder Yasiel Puig to stretch a single into a double.
- Associated Press