Jun 27, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Chris Taylor (3) crosses home plate to score a run and is greeted by center fielder Trayce Thompson (21) against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Dodgers Team News

Recap: Chris Taylor’s Historic Night Lifts Dodgers 13-7 Over Diamondbacks

Noah Friedman Follow on Twitter 07/15/2016
0 3 minutes read

Before Friday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chris Taylor recorded zero home runs and 10 runs batted in over the course of three MLB seasons.

This night, however, would be one to remember for the 25-year-old utility player as he came up a single short of the cycle by going 3-5 with his first career home run (a grand slam), and six runs knocked in as the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks, 13-7. Before the festivities kicked off, the Dodgers welcomed back a familiar face to the broadcast booth as Joe Davis returned from paternity leave. He became a dad on Father’s Day this season after he and his wife Libby welcomed baby Charlotte Grace.


[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”https://dodgersnation.com/dodgers-injury-report-trayce-thompson-sidelined-latest-on-clayton-kershaw-andre-ethier-and-more/2016/07/15/”]Dodgers Injury Report: Trayce Thompson Sidelined, Latest on Clayton Kershaw, Andre Ethier and More[/button]

After a solid month of June, in which he eight home runs and batted .286, Justin Turner took D-Backs starter Patrick Corbin deep to straightaway center in the top of the first inning and the Dodgers had a 1-0 lead almost immediately.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”https://dodgersnation.com/dodgers-right-going-second-half/2016/07/15/”]Newly Bolstered Starting Rotation Could Lead Dodgers to Hot Streak[/button]

Corbin’s counterpart, Bud Norris, ran into trouble in the bottom of the second inning as Arizona had runners on the corners with one out with right fielder Yasmany Tomás at the plate. Usually a power hitter, Tomás grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

The Dodgers started a rally the next inning as Norris reached on an error by D-Backs third baseman Jake Lamb and Corey Seager stroked his 23rd double of the season to left field. Lamb’s second miscue of the inning came while Turner was at-bat, scoring Norris from third for a 2-0 Dodgers lead.

Arizona started the bottom of the third inning in similar fashion as Corbin singled past Taylor at second base and shortstop Nick Ahmed had a base knock to right field. After second baseman Jean Segura flied out to move Corbin up to third, center fielder Michael Bourn cleared the bases with his third triple of the season to tie the game at 2. Superstar first baseman Paul Goldschmidt grounded out to score Bourn and the Diamondbacks would take the lead for the first time in the game, 3-2 after three innings.

The seesaw affair ended in the fourth inning as the Dodgers struck back on a Taylor triple that scored Yasmani Grandal and Scott Van Slyke. Howie Kendrick placed an insurance run on the board with an RBI single the very next at-bat.

The inning continued with a scoring frenzy as the Dodgers loaded the bases for Yasiel Puig, who promptly dropped a base hit to center which scored two more runs. Puig was out trying to stretch his hit into a double, but the Dodgers created space by leading 7-3.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”https://dodgersnation.com/dodgers-credits-top-editorials-of-the-week-injury-report-vin-scullys-greatest-calls-and-more/2016/07/15/”]Dodgers Credits: Top Editorials of the Week, Injury Report, Vin Scully’s Greatest Calls and More[/button]

Norris contributed to his own cause in the fifth as he reached for a base hit that brought home Taylor from second base and the Dodgers were up by five runs, 8-3.

Despite the comfortable edge, the Diamondbacks got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a Lamb RBI double, but the Dodgers still held the 8-4 advantage.

Taylor’s grand slam in the sixth inning sent the Diamondbacks packing and the Dodgers were as hot as the 110 degree weather that greeted them when they touched down in Phoenix.

The Diamondbacks made the game interesting after the seventh-inning stretch as they tacked on three runs to pull back to within five runs, but Taylor’s night was too much to derail the home team and the Dodgers cruised to win No. 52.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”https://dodgersnation.com/in-defense-of-corey-seagers-participation-in-the-home-run-derby/2016/07/15/”]In Defense of Corey Seager’s Participation in the Home Run Derby[/button]

Noah Friedman Follow on Twitter 07/15/2016
0 3 minutes read
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Noah Friedman

Native Angeleno, adopted Phoenician. I'm going into my junior year at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. I study sports journalism while covering a multitude of Sun Devils sports. Follow me on Twitter @OPannouncer!

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