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NLDS Game 1, Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers: Highlights, recap and more

BySarabeth Pollock|
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 06: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in game one of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 06: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in game one of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Dodgers claim Game 1 of the 2017 NLDS with a 9-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Here are your game highlights.

Thanks to some hot bats, the Dodgers got on the board early on and never looked back. They defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5 in Game 1 of the 2017 NLDS on Friday night.

Los Angeles came out to an early lead in Game 1 of the 2017 NLDS when Justin Turner knocked in a three-run homer that scored Chris Taylor and Corey Seager. Yasiel Puig got in on the action with a RBI double that sent Cody Bellinger in for a run. The Dodgers finished the 1st inning up 4-0. The Diamondbacks answered in the top of the 3rd when A.J. Pollock hit a solo home run to make it 4-1 Dodgers.

The Dodgers’ lead grew in the bottom of the 4th when Corey Seager singled on a ground ball to score Logan Forsythe. Turner added a RBI single, and Puig drove in Seager on a grounder to put the Dodgers up 7-1.

The 6th and 7th innings were enough to make the Dodgers a little nervous as the usually unflappable Clayton Kershaw allowed another solo home run to J.D. Martinez in the 6th, followed by back to back home runs from Ketel Marte and Jeff Mathis in the 7th so that Arizona trailed the Dodgers 7-4.

Los Angeles grew the lead in the 8th inning as Seager’s triple brought in Austin Barnes, followed by a Turner grounder to drive in Seager. 9-4 Dodgers. The Diamondbacks got on the board in the 9th inning when Jake Lamb drove in a run, but it wasn’t enough and the Dodgers won 9-5.

Taijuan Walker only lasted one inning after allowing 4 hits and 4 earned runs. Torey Lovullo had to dip into his bullpen 4 more times to finish out the game, which will no doubt pose challenges for Arizona in Game 2 and 3.

Highlights

Three Stars

Clayton Kershaw, P, Dodgers: Despite giving up 4 home runs, Kershaw looked impressive on the night going 6.1 innings with 7Ks. He only allowed 5 hits, but the flip side of that is that he allowed 4 earned runs that also happened to be solo home runs. Aside from that, Kershaw still looked good after throwing 100 pitches.

Justin Turner, 3B, Dodgers: The Dodgers shot out to a 3-0 lead over the D-Backs thanks to a three-run blast to center from Turner in the 1st inning. Later, in the bottom of the 4th Turner smacked a line drive for a RBI single. Thanks to Turner’s bat, the Dodgers were able to enjoy a comfortable lead throughout the game, which helped to give Kershaw a little breathing room early on.

Dodgers’ Bats: The game would have been a lot closer if the Diamondbacks had been able to get runners on base to go with their four solo home runs. The Dodgers, by contrast, had no problem getting on base and this is what made the difference. Getting runners in scoring position and getting hits allowed the Dodgers to stay ahead through the entire game.

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Next Game

The action continues in Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 7 in Game 2 of the NLDS. Rich Hill has the start for the Dodgers. Hill (LHP, 12-8, 3.32 ERA, 166K) is a lot more comfortable at home than away but his postseason experience (4 previous starts) will be a major benefit. Robby Ray, a fellow lefty, will start for the Diamondbacks. Ray (15-5, 2.89 ERA, 218K) was a big part of Arizona’s win in the NL Wild Card Game.

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