Utley, Dodgers rout Giants 15-6; Sandoval pitches in win
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chase Utley hit three doubles and a single as the Los Angeles Dodgers did damage against every San Francisco pitcher except emergency reliever Pablo Sandoval, routing the Giants 15-6 Saturday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Sandoval was summoned from third base to begin the ninth inning and, in his first major league pitching appearance, retired three straight batters on grounders. The 2012 World Series MVP threw 11 pitches, helping preserve the Giants' bullpen for the second game. He also had a hit and an RBI.
Chris Taylor, who homered, and Utley each scored four times. Joc Pederson had four hits and drove in four runs, and Cody Bellinger had three hits and three RBIs as Los Angeles ended a three-game losing streak.
The Dodgers had a season-high 20 hits, their most since getting 21 against Cincinnati on Aug. 22, 2016. Los Angeles lost right fielder Yasiel Puig to a sore left hip after he ran into a wall.
Walker Buehler (1-0) allowed two runs and struck out six over five innings. The right-hander was recalled from Single-A Rancho Cucamonga before the game and added to the roster as the 26th man.
Nick Hundley and Alen Hanson homered for the Giants. Chris Stratton (2-2) returned from the paternity list and gave up six runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Puig made a running one-handed catch and ran into a padded wall in the right corner of AT&T Park while chasing down Nick Hundley's deep foul to end the first inning. Manager Dave Roberts and team trainers rushed out and ran down the right field line as Puig dropped to the ground before getting to one knee.
Puig remained on one knee for several moments, then got to his feet and walked slowly into the Dodgers dugout. He came out to bat in the second inning, fouled a ball of his foot, then flied out. He was removed in between innings.
It is the first doubleheader between the two teams since Sept. 27, 2003. It was necessary after a rainout at AT&T Park on April 6.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, NATIONALS 3, 10 innings.
WASHINGTON (AP) — David Peralta connected twice in his first multihomer game and Nick Ahmed scored the winning run on a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning, sending the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
The NL West-leading Diamondbacks took the first two games of the weekend set in Washington to become the first NL team since the 1907 Cubs to win nine straight series to start a season.
Ahmed led off the 10th with a double off Sammy Solis (0-1). Peralta walked with one out before Austin Adams replaced Solis and issued consecutive walks to Jarrod Dyson and A.J. Pollock, putting the Diamondbacks in front.
Yoshihisa Hirano (2-0) pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the win. The Nationals loaded the bases with two out in the 10th before Brad Boxberger got Michael A. Taylor to bounce into a fielder's choice to pick up his eighth save in eight chances.
Washington jumped in front on Ryan Zimmerman's two-run shot off Patrick Corbin in the third. It was the fourth homer of the season for Zimmerman, who batted second in the order for the first time since 2015.
Peralta responded with solo shots in the fourth and sixth, giving him five on the season. He also singled and walked.
Howie Kendrick's second homer in as many days gave the Nationals a 3-2 lead in the sixth. But Pollock hit a twoout RBI single off Ryan Madson in the eighth.
Washington dropped to 3-9 at home this season.