Dan and Dee Slug in All the Runs for Series Win

Even though Dan Haren served up a two-run homerun to Paul Goldschmidt on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, the veteran right-hander still picked up his seventh win of the season thanks to his own clutch bases-clearing double as well as a surprising two-run homerun from Dee Gordon. Haren wasn’t terrible in his 6 1/3 innings of work, and other than the Goldy homer in the first and a RBI single by Prado in the fourth, Haren pitched adequately and didn’t walk anyone in the quality start.

The Dodgers offense and bullpen where working well tonight. Dee Gordon tied up the game in the third with a two-run shot which ignited the Dodger dugout in celebration and smiles. The Dodgers went on to score four big ones in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a three-run double by none other than Dan Haren and a RBI single by Matt Kemp. The Dodgers also had to deal with the base hit vacuum Goldschmidt who robbed Ethier and the Dodgers of a few key opportunities with his great defense at first.

The Dodger bullpen was able to hold the lead even though Kenley allowed a solo homerun to Martin Prado to lead-off the top of the ninth.  It’s a night like this that can give you a little optimism about the Dodger bullpen (well, maybe). Kenley did pick up his 19th save of the season.

Dodgers 6 8 0

Diamondbacks 4 9 0

WP- Haren (7-4)

LP- Collmenter (4-4)

S- Jansen (19)

HR- Goldschmidt (14), Gordon (2), Prado (3)

Didi Gregorius starts off the game with a double to left field which Yasiel Puig bare hands after it bounces off the wall. Gregorius advances to third on a ground ball to second by Gerardo Parra. Then Paul Goldschmidt, who always torments the Dodgers, crushes a two-run homerun to left field. That Dan Haren 83-mph cutter was hammered. Miguel Montero is awarded a single on a ground ball to second base after the umpire says Adrian Gonzalez was pulled off the bag with the throw. Don Mattingly challenges and wins as the umpires reverses the call, and they change it to an out. Aaron Hill grounds out to short to end the inning, but the Snakes strike first and lead 2-0.

Josh Collmenter retires Dee Gordon and Hanley Ramirez quickly, but then he’s careful and walks Yasiel Puig with two out in the home half of the first. With Gonzo at bat, Puig is thrown out by Miguel Montero trying to steal second.

Haren settles down a bit in the second, and he retires Martin Prado, David Peralta, and Tony Campana in order.

Dan Haren and Dee Gordon knocked in 5 runs for the Dodgers on Saturday night against Arizona.

The Dodgers waste a lead-off single by Adrian Gonzalez in the bottom of the second after Matt Kemp flies out, and Andre Ethier lines into a double play as Paul Goldschmidt snags the liner and doubles up Gonzo at first.

Haren pitches a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third. Puig tracks down a deep fly ball hit by Didi, and Parra grounds out as Gonzo tags him before he reaches first.

Dee Gordon ties up the game with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the third. Miguel Rojas, who is playing third base tonight, singles with one out. Dan Haren sacrifices successfully down the line, and Rojas moves to first. Then Dee Gordon hits one out over the left field fence for a two-run homerun and his second homerun of the season! The Dodgers go crazy in the dugout, and it’s the first time we have seen the dugout so excited in quite awhile. Hanley Ramirez is called out on strikes to end the inning, and he briefly argues with the ump.

Goldschmidt is retired in the top of the fourth after he lines out to Kemp in left to begin the inning. Montero singles on a chopper which gets by Gonzo at first, and Hill singles to left as well. The D-backs score again on a Prado single which goes under the glove of Hanley and into center field, 3-0. Peralta grounds into a force out Miguel Rojas makes a great leaping catch on a Campana liner to end the inning, and the damage is contained to one run.

In the bottom of the fourth, Yasiel Puig draws a lead-off walk, his second walk of the game. Gonzo singles to left, and Puig slides into third. Matt Kemp knocks in the tying run with a single to center to cash in Puig. Andre Ethier’s grounder toward the right side is stopped by Goldy at first who makes another good play to rob Ethier of an extra base hit down the line. Kemp and Gonzo advance to second and third on the play. The D-backs intentionally walk A.J. Ellis to load up the bases for Miguel Rojas. Rojas flies out to Parra, and the runners have to hold since Parra has a good arm. The Dodgers are now 5-for-43 with the bases loaded according to Vin Scully. Then Haren proceeds to double to the center field gap, and the bases are cleared! Gonzo, Kemp, and Ellis all come home, and the Dodgers take a 6-3 lead!

Other than a single to Didi Gregorius, Haren pitches a scoreless frame in the top of the fifth.

Hanley Ramirez singles to center to lead-off the bottom of the fifth. Puig strikes out. Ramirez steals second base with Gonzo at the plate. Kirk Gibson goes out to argue for a minute. Ramirez advances to third on a ground out to short by Gonzo. Kemp hits one hard, but once again Goldschmidt is there. That’s the third time Goldy has robbed the Dodgers of a base hit this evening.

Martin Prado comes up with his second hit of the night, a double on a soft fly ball to right with two outs in the top of the sixth. Peralta flies out to

June 14, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (44) hits a two run home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

center, and the D-backs remain behind by three runs.

A.J. Ellis singles in the bottom of the sixth, but the Dodgers don’t do much else in the inning.

In the seventh, Haren allows a one-out single to pinch-hitter Jordan Pacheco. Don Mattingly will take out Haren and replace him with J.P. Howell out of the Dodgers’ bullpen. With Gregorius batting, a wild pitch gets away from Ellis and Pacheco moves to second. Pacheco then moves to third as Didi grounds out. Parra chases a ball in the dirt to strike out and end the inning.

Dan Haren pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits with 2 strikeouts and no walks on 95 pitches.

Josh Collmenter pitched 6 innings and allowed 6 runs on 8 hits with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks on 91 pitches.

Will Harris, a righty, is in for the bottom of the seventh for Arizona. Gordon grounds out, Hanley flies out, and Puig strikes out as the Dodgers go down in order against Harris.

Brian Wilson is in for the eighth inning per usual. Why must he always pitch the eighth when he has been mostly ineffective this season? Paul Goldschmidt pops out to A.J. in foul territory behind the plate, but A.J. and Miguel Rojas collide while both trying to make the catch. Nobody in the Dodger dugout yelled out to them, but luckily neither are injured on the play. Wilson strikes out Montero. Hill pops out to Hanley, and Wilson pitches a nice scoreless frame.

Left-hander Joe Thatcher will pitch the bottom of the eighth for the D-backs. Gonzo grounds out. Kemp flies out. Ethier strikes out.

Kenley Jansen is in for the top of the ninth. As California Love by Tupac Shukar blares through the stadium speakers, the Dodgers feel a series win is within their reach. Martin Prado proceeds to homer to center field, and the Dodgers now lead 6-4. That’s Prado’s third hit of the night and the 1,000th of his career. Peralta lines a scorcher to Gonzo who spears it for the out. Campana lines out to Hanley for the second out. Jansen strikes out Chris Owings to end the game.

The Dodgers improve to 37-33. Sunday’s series finale will feature Josh Beckett versus Bronson Arroyo. The Dodgers will go for their third sweep of Arizona for the season.