Justin Turner and Mookie Betts each hit grand slams as the Los Angeles Dodgers blasted a season-high eight home runs in a record-setting 22-1 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler pitched six scoreless innings as Los Angeles put an All-Star Game flavor on the victory. The 22 runs scored matched a Los Angeles Dodgers record, recorded in July of 2001 at Colorado. Saturday’s was a club record for runs scored in a game at Dodger Stadium.
AJ Pollock and Albert Pujols each hit two home runs for the Dodgers, who had a season-high 21 hits.
Turner and Buehler were named to the National League All-Star team earlier Saturday as roster replacements, joining teammates Max Muncy and Chris Taylor. Betts also was named an All-Star but will not play Tuesday in order to rest “nagging” injuries.
Cody Bellinger and Pollock had back-to-back home runs in the first inning as the Dodgers scored five runs in the opening frame and had a nine-run lead four batters into the second.
Zach McKinstry and Pujols hit back-to-back homers in the seventh. Pollock added his second of the game and 12th of the season in the eighth inning, while Pujols followed with his second of the game and 13th of the season.
Diamondbacks starter Caleb Smith gave up nine runs, while recording just three outs in one-plus inning. Smith (2-6) gave up six hits, with three walks and one strikeout.
Buehler (9-1) gave up three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts as the Dodgers won for just the second time in their last six games.
A first-inning double from Muncy brought home Betts and Taylor to give the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. Bellinger added a two-run home run to right field, his fourth of the season, before Pollock followed with a shot to left for a 5-0 lead.
The Dodgers started their half of the second inning with a single from Buehler, followed by walks to Betts and Taylor. On a full-count fastball, Turner crushed the first grand slam of his career into the seats in left field. It was Turner’s 15th of the season.
Betts’ fifth career grand slam, and first with the Dodgers, was his 12th homer of the season. The Dodgers have hit back-to-back home runs seven times this season and have an MLB-leading nine grand slams.
Arizona’s Andrew Young spoiled the shutout with an eighth-inning home run off left-hander Garrett Cleavinger, his fifth.
The Dodgers improved to 8-1 against the Diamondbacks this season.
–Field Level Media