Dustin May delivered a second consecutive strong start and the Los Angeles Dodgers earned a 5-2 victory over the host Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday in the opener of a four-game series in Phoenix.
Freddie Freeman hit a home run and J.D. Martinez hit an RBI double as the Dodgers improved to 3-2 against the Diamondbacks this season. May (1-0) gave up one run on two hits over six innings, with two walks and five strikeouts — six days after he went seven scoreless innings against Arizona.
Josh Rojas had an RBI double for the Diamondbacks, while right-hander Merrill Kelly (0-1) gave up four runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings, with four walks and four strikeouts. Kelly, 34, recorded his 500th career strikeout in the fourth inning when he fanned former teammate David Peralta.
Jake McCarthy had a triple among his two hits for Arizona in its home opener.
The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Max Muncy walked, went to second on a single from James Outman and scored on a single from Chris Taylor.
Los Angeles made it 2-0 on Muncy’s force-out that scored Freeman when D-backs shortstop Geraldo Perdomo made a throwing error while trying to complete a double play. Muncy scored on Martinez’s double to left field.
Outman had an RBI single in the sixth inning for the Dodgers, and Freeman’s first home run was a solo shot in the seventh.
The D-backs got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning; Perdomo walked and scored on a double to right field by Rojas to cut the deficit to 4-1. McCarthy tripled and scored on a passed ball in the seventh.
Dodgers right-hander Evan Phillips pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his second save.
Peralta, who signed with the Dodgers in the offseason, was playing at Arizona for the first time since the D-backs moved him to the Tampa Bay Rays in July.
–Field Level Media
