The Los Angeles Dodgers must have had a feeling of déjà vu on Saturday night, as the game pattern was eerily similar to Friday night's loss. Once again the Dodgers got out to a first inning lead, but the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied in the middle innings and captured their second straight 5-3 win over the Dodgers. Arizona has won two of the first three games of the four-game series.
Jerry Hairston Jr. homered in the first inning to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. That lead lasted until the fifth inning, when Chad Billingsley allowed three hits and a sacrifice fly for three runs, highlighted by a two-run double from Gerardo Parra.
Billingsley (4-9) allowed just six hits in his six innings and didn't walk a batter, but five of those six hits were doubles and he allowed four runs to take his fifth straight loss.
After allowing two runs in the first inning, Trevor Cahill (7-7) allowed just one more run the rest of the way, a solo home run by A.J. Ellis in the seventh inning. That brought the Dodgers to within 4-3, but Jason Kubel added an insurance run with a solo home run in the eighth inning, his 15th of the season.
Cahill allowed three runs in seven innings for the win.
Ellis went 3-for-4 on the night, and his home run gave the Dodgers six home runs in seven games in July, matching their total for all of June, in 28 games.
The Dodgers look to salvage a split on Sunday afternoon, with Chris Capuano facing off against Trevoe Bauer in the final game before the All-Star break.
For all your Dodgers news and analysis, be sure to read True Blue LA. To keep up with Diamondbacks news and notes, be sure to read AZ Snake Pit or SB Nation Arizona.
