The Los Angeles Dodgers haven’t forgotten the way the Arizona Diamondbacks stormed into Dodger Stadium last October and won the first two games in their National League Division Series, leading to a three-game sweep.
The Dodgers’ 100-win season ended. The Diamondbacks went on to play in the World Series.
On Monday night, the Dodgers will work on getting whatever revenge they can fashion on their home field when the Diamondbacks return to Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles won two of three games against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix earlier this season but undoubtedly wants more.
Shohei Ohtani gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds with a game-ending single in the 10th inning on Sunday. Ohtani was not there for the unceremonious finish to the Dodgers’ 2023 campaign, and neither was right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is scheduled to take the mound Monday.
Both players were brought on board in high-priced deals to help get the club across the finish line.
Yamamoto (4-1, 3.21 ERA) earned the victory at Arizona on May 1 when he went six scoreless innings in an 8-0 win.
The Dodgers have been one of the best regular-season clubs for a decade, but they have just one World Series title in that time, and it came in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Ohtani is giving the Dodgers exactly what they hoped for at the start of a 10-year, $700-million contract. He leads the major leagues with a .353 batting average and a 1.081 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. More importantly, he has helped the Dodgers to a 13-4 record in May and the second-best record in the National League at 32-17.
“I was just happy I could put up a good at-bat, and it is something I can take into (Monday), and I am looking forward to that as well,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
The Diamondbacks are just 4-5 since May 10 but are coming off a 6-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers at home Sunday. Former Dodger Joc Pederson drove in two runs for Arizona, which scored a pair of go-ahead runs in the seventh inning on two ground balls.
The Diamondbacks’ defense of their NL title has been a rough ride so far, with the team owning a 22-25 record.
Left-handed reliever Joe Mantiply (2-1, 4.67 ERA) will be used as an opener in Monday’s game against the Dodgers, who will have a pair of left-handed hitters come to the plate in the opening inning in Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.
Right-hander Slade Cecconi (1-3, 5.27) is expected to pick up multiple innings in what would be his 13th career appearance in the regular season. Cecconi saw action in two postseason games, but the second-year pitcher has never faced the Dodgers.
Despite their rocky ride this season, the Diamondbacks no doubt will be feeling good when they arrive at Dodger Stadium. In the opener of the NL Division Series last season, they rocked Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw for six first-inning runs.
In Game 2, it was three more first-inning runs against right-hander Bobby Miller. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a home run in the second game.
But fast forward, and Gurriel has been struggling. A career .276 hitter, he is batting just .196 in May and did not start Saturday.
“Sometimes, I have to make some tough decisions, and he’s grinding at the plate,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “I just wanted to get him off his feet. I know he probably doesn’t want time down because every batter feels they are one swing … closer to coming out of things.”
Gurriel was back in the lineup Sunday and had two hits.
–Field Level Media
