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The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman drops his bat and runs to first after hitting an RBI double to score Mookie Betts with the go-ahead run during the fifth inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker hits a solo home run during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker hits a solo home run during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Josh Rojas, right, congratulates teammate Christian Walker on his solo home run during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Jose Herrera makes a catch on a foul ball hit by the Dodgers’ Austin Barnes during the third inning on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner throws over the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker for an inning-ending double play during the fourth inning on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts celebrates after driving in two runs to tie the score with a single that rolled to the outfield wall after an Arizona Diamondbacks errors during the fifth inning on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor, ahead of Austin Barnes, celebrate in the dugout after both were driven in by Mookie Betts during the fifth inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman runs to first after hitting an RBI double to score Mookie Betts with the go-ahead run during the fifth inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. Gonsolin pitched a season-high six innings in a 5-4 win. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Josh Rojas reacts as he is tagged out by Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes after his strikeout during the sixth inning on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Sean Poppen throws to the plate during the sixth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor runs to first as he watches the flight of his two-run home run off of Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Sean Poppen during the sixth inning on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor, right, celebrates with teammate Max Muncy, left, after hitting a two-run home run as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Jose Herrera stands at the plate during the sixth inning on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Dodgers’ Max Muncy, right, waits to celebrate with Chris Taylor after they both scored on Taylor’s two-run home run during the sixth inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor celebrates his two-run home run in the dugout during the sixth inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Sean Poppen shows his frustration after giving up a two-run home run to the Dodgers’ Chris Taylor during the sixth inning on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte fields a ground ball as the Dodgers’ Gavin Lux avoids the tag while running to second base during the sixth inning on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ David Peralta hits a two-run home run off of Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel during the ninth inning on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ David Peralta hits a two-run home run off of Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel during the ninth inning on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ David Peralta blows a bubble with his gum as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the ninth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ David Peralta gestures before scoring after hitting a two-run home run during the ninth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Josh Rojas (10) congratulates David Peralta after his two-run home run during the ninth inning as Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes looks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel, left, celebrates with catcher Austin Barnes after the final out of their 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin in the dugout before their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES ― The Dodgers nearly cost themselves a victory Sunday by making an error in the field against the Philadelphia Phillies. They made another error that counted on the scoreboard, and a couple more that didn’t, on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The fate of the baseball gods is nothing if not fickle. The D’backs never took advantage of the mistakes, but one of their own loomed large over the Dodgers’ 5-4 victory.
With a pair of runners on base and a 2-0 deficit in the fifth inning, Mookie Betts’ line drive got past rookie center fielder Alek Thomas and rolled all the way to the deepest part of Dodger Stadium. Both runners scored, tying the score at 2-2. The next batter, Freddie Freeman, smoked a double against Madison Bumgarner to score Betts with the go-ahead run.
The Dodgers had caught a break. A strong start by Tony Gonsolin, and a late homer by Chris Taylor, made it stand up.
Gonsolin threw a season-high six innings and allowed two runs, giving his bullpen a badly needed breather. The right-hander matched a career high by throwing 92 pitches. But until the fifth-inning hits by Betts and Freeman – sandwiched around Thomas’ costly error – Gonsolin’s efforts had gone for naught.
“This offense is really good,” he said. “We’re never out of the game.”
Gonsolin (4-0) completed six innings only once in his first six starts of the season. The Dodgers needed him to do it again with a doubleheader looming Tuesday, part of a stretch of 31 games in 30 days. Gonsolin allowed three hits, walked two batters and struck out seven before turning the game over to the bullpen.
After Christian Walker’s solo homer gave Arizona a 1-0 lead in the second inning, “every fastball I saw (Gonsolin) throw was with conviction,” Manager Dave Roberts said.
Gonsolin pitched aggressively enough to fall behind 2-and-0 just twice and 3-and-0 once. His fastball topped out at 94.9 mph, close to his season high and that was in the sixth inning. He threw more curveballs than usual – 18 – which elicited nine called strikes and no balls in play.
“I’ve just been trying to get some early contact. I’ve talked with (Clayton Kershaw) a lot about how to get deeper into games; what works, what doesn’t work. Trying to figure out a way that works for me and get that early contact.”
Taylor homered and doubled as part of a 2-for-4 performance before the announced crowd of 42,650. Max Muncy continued his slow climb out of a season-long pit with a pair of infield singles, the latter on a bunt to begin the sixth inning. Taylor followed with an opposite-field home run and the Dodgers led, 5-2.
Muncy’s batting average was as low as .130 on May 3. It now stands at .163.
The Dodgers made mistakes too, but they were rarely punished. Ketel Marte led off the fourth inning with a routine pop fly to shallow left field. Third baseman Justin Turner had the only play on it, but he couldn’t close his glove on the ball after drifting underneath. The play was ruled a hit.
The next batter, Walker, hit a dribbler to shortstop that Trea Turner charged but couldn’t glove cleanly. Marte went to third base, then scored on a sacrifice fly to put the D’backs ahead, 2-0.
Gavin Lux made the critical play in the field Sunday, allowing a ground ball to trickle through his legs in the second inning, leading to four unearned runs. Lux redeemed his mistake by delivering the game-winning hit in the ninth inning against Phillies closer Corey Knebel.
Lux had another adventure Monday. Playing left field, he sprinted underneath a lazy fly ball in foul territory, only to see the ball bounce out of his glove and land foul. As fate would have it, the play did not cost the Dodgers.
Left-hander Caleb Ferguson made his 2022 debut with a scoreless seventh inning in relief of Gonsolin. Daniel Hudson tossed a scoreless eighth. Craig Kimbrel allowed a two-run home run to David Peralta in the ninth inning, then came back to strike out Geraldo Perdomo and retire Thomas on a groundout to end the game. Kimbrel is 6 for 6 in save situations.
By winning back-to-back games, the Dodgers (22-12) edged in front of the San Diego Padres (22-13) by half a game in the National League West standings, and five games ahead of Arizona (18-18).
Tie game? You Betts ya! pic.twitter.com/AVxj9kKz7P
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 17, 2022
Get out ball! #CT3 pic.twitter.com/hZYteMFbRf
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 17, 2022
“He was in complete control of his entire mix tonight…to give us 6 innings was really impressive. This was a big one [for him] and we needed it.” Dave Roberts’ thoughts on Tony Gonsolin’s start. pic.twitter.com/alolkFaOQs
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 17, 2022
.@goooose15 reflects on another efficient outing that helped him improve to 4-0 (1.64 ERA) on the season in tonight’s 5-4 #Dodgers win. pic.twitter.com/mL5yhFlppf
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 17, 2022
Chris Taylor talks with @kirsten_watson about his success at the plate tonight (HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R) against Arizona. pic.twitter.com/cLifoaQfrr
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 17, 2022
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