Turner powers Dodgers to doubleheader sweep of Diamondbacks

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This article was published 17/05/2022 (1257 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although the Los Angeles Dodgers keep falling behind early, they’ve had enough power lately to make sure they don’t stay there.

Edwin Rios hit a three-run homer during a six-run second inning and the Dodgers erased another quick deficit Tuesday night in a 12-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks to sweep the first doubleheader between the NL West rivals.

In the opener of the day-night twinbill, Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Justin Turner homered in a five-run sixth as Los Angeles outlasted Arizona 7-6.

Trea Turner added two hits and four RBIs in the second game, and Freddie Freeman had three hits and three RBIs to help the Dodgers extend their winning streak to four games. They can finish a four-game sweep Wednesday.

“I just think we’re getting going a little bit more,” Trea Turner said between games. “I feel like nobody has really played up to their potential other than maybe Mookie right now, and maybe Freddie. We know there’s a lot more in there, so hopefully going forward there’s a lot more home runs up and down the lineup. We’re all dangerous players, so I expect more of that.”

Jordan Luplow and Christian Walker staked Arizona to a fast start with first-inning home runs, but the Diamondbacks lost at Dodger Stadium for the 12th time in 13 games and have dropped 10 of their last 11 series to Los Angeles.

Walker has homered in the first three games of the series.

It was the first doubleheader at Dodger Stadium since 1999, when the Dodgers and Colorado Rockies made up a rainout from earlier in the season. It also was the first scheduled doubleheader in Los Angeles since 1987.

Arizona committed three errors in the nightcap, and three pitchers combined to issue seven walks.

“I thought we got off to a good start. We had a couple of solo home runs and we were ready to go,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “But we’re a young team and we did a lot of immature things today. We have to tighten that up.”

Dodgers starter Tyler Anderson (4-0) managed to find his way quickly after Arizona flashed early power. He gave up two runs and seven hits over seven innings with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly continued to struggle at Dodger Stadium, giving up eight runs and five hits with four walks over two innings. He is 0-6 in nine starts against the Dodgers.

“We were engaged and fighting to the end, we just had a lot to overcome,” Lovullo said. “Merrill got dinged up a little bit and I think that we lost a little momentum through the middle parts of this game.”

Los Angeles fell behind by multiple runs for the eighth consecutive game, but rallied to win again. Trea Turner tied it 2-all in the first on a two-run single and added an RBI single in the second ahead of Rios’ three-run shot, his fourth.

“It’s kind of nice when Mookie gets on, I get on and Trea knocks it in. We had two runs in the first three batters,” Freeman said. “The offense has been swinging well and I have to give props to Edwin. It’s very hard to not play every day and put up quality (at-bats) and he’s been doing it every time he gets into the lineup.”

Rios, who has forced his way into playing time of late with three home runs over his last six games, started as the cleanup hitter for the first time in his four-year career.

Freeman had a two-run double in the sixth and an RBI double in the eighth.

“Freddie has been consistent all year, but even he has ramped it up a notch,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Mookie has been playing well for the last week and Trea has been going well for the last 10 days. To see what those guys are doing at the top is pretty special.”

Dodgers infielder Hanser Alberto pitched the ninth inning, giving up one run in his third career appearance on the mound.

BETTS BETTER

Betts tied the opening game in the sixth when he connected for his third homer in four days. The star right fielder is heating up with the weather, piling up eight homers and 17 RBIs in the last four weeks after a slow start to the season.

Betts doubled and scored on Freeman’s single in the seventh inning of Game 1. He went 0 for 3 in Game 2, but walked twice and scored three runs.

WALKER IN LA

With a no-doubt shot to left-center in the third inning of Game 1 and another to right-center in Game 2, Walker continued his career-long excellence against the Dodgers.

His 14 homers against Los Angeles are his most against any opponent, and his nine homers at Dodger Stadium are his most at any opponent’s ballpark. Walker hit his 11th and 12th homers against the Dodgers since 2019 — more than any player in that stretch except Fernando Tatís Jr. (13).

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw still has back pain from an inflamed pelvic joint. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is “unlikely” to throw a bullpen Wednesday as previously scheduled, Roberts said. … RHP Tommy Kahnle went on the injured list with right forearm inflammation and is scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday.

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Diamondbacks: 2B Ketel Marte appeared to tweak his left hand on a swing during his final at-bat in Game 1 and was a late scratch for Game 2. He was listed as day-to-day.

UP NEXT

Arizona right-hander Zach Davies (2-1, 3.57 ERA) will face Los Angeles right-hander Walker Buehler (4-1, 2.81) on Wednesday afternoon in the series finale.

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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports