LOS ANGELES — Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo had an idea Monday.
Rather than feed rookie starter Slade Cecconi immediately to the former MVPs at the top of the Dodgers’ lineup, the Diamondbacks started lefty reliever Joe Mantiply – a familiar “opener” strategy in the analytics era – and let him handle the first inning. Cecconi could get his feet under him and maybe sneak up on the Dodgers.
“They haven’t seen Slade,” Lovullo reasoned before the game. “The second time through the order is the first time they’re going to see Slade overall. So hopefully it will give us an advantage.”
Spoiler alert – it didn’t.
Freddie Freeman hit a grand slam, one of three home runs in a six-run third inning against Cecconi that held up for a 6-4 Dodgers victory over the Diamondbacks on Monday night.
Will Smith and Kiké Hernandez also homered in the six-run inning, Hernandez joining Freeman in the first-timers club by taking Cecconi deep in his first at-bat against the former first-round draft pick.
Hernandez led off the big inning with his homer. He was the first of six consecutive Dodgers who reached base and scored runs.
Miguel Rojas singled to right field, sending things back to the top of the order. Mookie Betts also singled and Shohei Ohtani loaded the bases with a walk, ball four coming on a questionable call by home plate umpire Carlos Torres. Freeman’s sixth career grand slam came on a 2-and-1 fastball at the knees, lifted 415 feet out to center field.
Five pitches later, Cecconi hung a curveball to Smith and he hit the third home run of the inning. Thoroughly vetted by the Dodgers now, Cecconi retired the final 11 batters he faced in order.
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Given an early cushion, Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto rolled through the Diamondbacks’ lineup with little stress. He gave up a one-out double to No. 9 hitter Kevin Newman in the third inning and Joc Pederson drove him in with a two-out single, battling Yamamoto for eight pitches.
The Diamondbacks didn’t get a runner past first base again until the seventh inning when Eugenio Suarez led off with a double. He scored on a one-out single by Newman who had three of the Diamondbacks’ seven hits against Yamamoto.
That one ended Yamamoto’s night. He threw a season-high 100 pitches while going 6⅓ innings and striking out eight.
Elieser Hernandez gave up back-to-back home runs to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jake McCarthy in the eighth inning to make it a close game. But Daniel Hudson closed it out in the ninth.
More to come on this story.
Freddie Freeman drives them all home with one big swing! pic.twitter.com/ewQUvDbwqj
— MLB (@MLB) May 21, 2024
Freddie Freeman’s 6th career grand slam ignites the @Dodgers crowd! pic.twitter.com/20nnH2krQC
— MLB (@MLB) May 21, 2024
8 strikeouts for Yoshinobu Yamamoto tonight! pic.twitter.com/kM4QDPMxCC
— MLB (@MLB) May 21, 2024
WILL SMITH!
The @Dodgers go back-to-back pic.twitter.com/VhwfC8thvL
— MLB (@MLB) May 21, 2024
Kiké ties it up! pic.twitter.com/RHoCS7ygaT
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 21, 2024
