Gavin Lux hits 1st grand slam, Dodgers top Arizona 9-1

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This article was published 19/05/2021 (1639 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gavin Lux hit his first career grand slam and Julio Urías pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ sixth victory in seven games, 9-1 over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.

Mookie Betts hit a leadoff homer and Chris Taylor added a tiebreaking, two-run shot in the fifth inning before Lux broke it open in the seventh, putting his second homer of the season into the short right field porch off Kevin Ginkel.

“Off the bat, I kind of thought it was going to be a double, but it carried a little bit,” Lux said. “I’m just getting more comfortable after coming back from the wrist injury. The more at-bats I get, my timing gets better.”

Lux was a surefire prospect who took more time than expected to click in the majors, but the infielder has got it together now: He is 18 for 52 (.346) with two homers, 12 RBIs, and seven multi-hit performances in Los Angeles’ last 14 games. It’s happening just in time for the Dodgers, who have moved Lux to shortstop after losing World Series MVP Corey Seager indefinitely to a broken hand last weekend.

Lux also overcame a wardrobe malfunction: He has been wearing extra-tight uniform pants throughout his recent offensive surge after first putting them on in support of teammate Walker Buehler, who also loves tight pants — but Lux ripped a hole in the seat while sliding in the sixth, forcing him to change before his grand slam.

After a 13-2 start to the season that was followed by a three-week slump, the defending World Series champions are dominating again with just one loss on their nine-game homestand, scoring 43 runs in seven games while getting a series of impressive starts from their rotation.

Urías (6-1) retired 13 straight batters from the second inning until the seventh. The Dodgers’ World Series-clinching hero is off to an outstanding start in LA’s rotation, and he yielded two runs and five hits with 14 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings in his two starts on this homestand.

Nick Ahmed had an RBI double for the injury-depleted Diamondbacks, who have lost six of seven after dropping the first two in this four-game set. Arizona has 11 hits and two runs in its last three games.

MARTIN’S ROAD

Corbin Martin (0-1) yielded four hits, four walks and three runs over five innings in his Arizona debut, his first major league start in just under two years and his first since undergoing Tommy John surgery shortly before the Astros traded him to the Diamondbacks in July 2019.

“It’s been a long road, and something I’ve been working really hard to get back to, and I’m just glad they had faith in me,” said Martin, who came up from Triple-A Reno to make the start. “The last time I was in LA, I was actually getting the surgery.”

Martin was the Diamondbacks’ most important return when they traded Zack Greinke to Houston, and he finally got back to the big leagues due to Arizona’s rash of pitching injuries. Aside from Betts’ homer on his second pitch and Taylor’s shot in the fifth, Martin was solid.

“At a moment’s notice, I thought Corbin Martin came in here and did a fantastic job on a big stage,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “He handled it so well. If we would have scored some runs for him, it would have been different.”

ROYAL ALBERT HBP

Albert Pujols went 0 for 3 in his second game with the Dodgers, but the slugger drove in his second run for his new team when he was hit by a pitch in the seventh with the bases loaded.

YOSHI’S STORY

Yoshi Tsutsugo went 0 for 2 with two walks while playing left field in his debut for the Dodgers, who acquired the former Japanese star from Tampa Bay last Saturday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: RHP Luke Weaver went on the 10-day injured list with a strained right shoulder. He’ll be reassessed in a few weeks. … Madison Bumgarner should make his next start, Lovullo said. Bumgarner left after four innings Monday with a left adductor strain.

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Dodgers: LHP Garrett Cleavinger went on the injured list with left forearm inflammation, and LHP Alex Vesia was recalled a day after being sent down.

UP NEXT

Clayton Kershaw (6-3, 3.20 ERA) takes the mound for his second start of the homestand after racking up 11 strikeouts while beating Miami last Friday. The Diamondbacks hadn’t announced their starter.

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