Diamondbacks look to sweep Dodgers at home for 1st time since 2008
PHOENIX - The Arizona Diamondbacks continued their impressive start to the season by setting two franchise records on Saturday. On deck is a chance for their first sweep of a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in nine years.
Arizona has outscored the Dodgers 24-10 in the first two games of the series at Chase Field after an 11-5 victory Saturday that featured four home runs and a franchise-record four doubles by David Peralta. Dodgers right-hander Brandon McCarthy will face Shelby Miller in the series finale Sunday.
The Diamondbacks are 8-1 at home, the best start in home history, in manager Torey Lovullo's first season. They lost 16 of their first 21 home games last season and were 33-48 at Chase.
"I don't know what really happened here last year, but I know these guys are going out and earning each victory. They don't look beyond today," Lovullo said.
"The way I look at it is, this is the defending National League West champs. The Dodgers are a special franchise and a special team, and we want to take what we can each and every day."
The D-backs have not swept a three-game home series from the Dodgers since April 7-9, 2008. They have swept three-game sets from the Dodgers twice in the interim at Dodgers Stadium, the last in May 2013.
Arizona, which has won five of seven, has won four of six against the Dodgers this season after winning the last two games of a four-game wraparound series that ended Monday.
"Those guys over there are swinging the bats well. They are playing well," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Yeah, we are frustrated right now, but we've got a long way to go."
The Diamondbacks lead the majors with 103 runs scored and have nine comeback victories, the latest when they spotted the Dodgers a 1-0 lead on Enrique Hernandez's homer in the first inning Saturday.
"Good baseball moments are contagious," Lovullo said. "The positive thoughts are the catalyst for good results. I know these guys are really encouraged by what they are doing as a group, and they feed off of one another.
"I think this group is a very special group. I think this group is uniting right before our very eyes. They don't feel like they are out of any moment."
McCarthy, who spent 1 1/2 seasons with Arizona, is 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three starts this season, his first full season since recovering from Tommy John surgery early in 2015. He is limiting opponents to a .228 batting average and has 16 strikeouts against seven walks in 17 innings.
McCarthy will face the Diamondbacks for the second time in a week. He gave up two runs on five hits in five innings of a no-decision at Dodger Stadium on Monday, striking out three and walking five in a game the Diamondbacks won, 4-2.
"I've said it from six weeks on, the ball has been coming out of his hand great," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He's competing. He's laser focused on being consistent with his work. He's been great."