Dodgers, with pitching limited, make big ask of Dustin May vs. D-backs

With a four-game losing streak now behind them, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be out to win a series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks when the teams meet in the finale of a three-game set Wednesday.

The Dodgers were on a season-long losing skid before scoring three runs in the 10th inning to earn a 4-3 victory over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Los Angeles’ top starter, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, gave the club exactly what it needed from its ace — seven scoreless innings.

But the victory wasn’t secured until Los Angeles scored three times in the 10th inning after reliever Tanner Scott gave up a game-tying solo home run to Arizona’s Gabriel Moreno in the ninth and a go-ahead two-run shot to Corbin Carroll in the 10th. All three of Moreno’s home runs this season are against the Dodgers.

The recent skid by Los Angeles has come with three starters on the injured list after right-hander Roki Sasaki went down last week. The situation has left manager Dave Roberts to take a calculated risk Wednesday.

The Dodgers will send right-hander Dustin May (1-4, 4.43 ERA) to the mound on four days’ rest. It is the first time he has had less than five days of rest between outings since returning from a 2023 Tommy John surgery.

“I think it’s more the need of the rotation,” Roberts said when asked if four days of rest was part of May’s progression in his return from medical issues. “I think he’s physically able to handle it. Our rotation certainly needs it. To not have the ability really to drop somebody in, I think the progression is kind of fitting and the timing is good for this.”

May has lost each of his past three starts and gave up four runs on six hits with two walks over five innings on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels in the 6-2 defeat.

In six career appearances (five starts) against Arizona, May is 1-2 with a 3.96 ERA. He faced the Diamondbacks on the road on May 10 and gave up two runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings of a 3-0 loss.

Arizona right-hander Corbin Burnes (3-1, 2.56) got the best of Los Angeles that day and will oppose May and the Dodgers again. In the win, Burnes gave up five hits in seven scoreless innings with five strikeouts.

Burnes added six scoreless innings Friday in a win over the Colorado Rockies and is on a run of 16 scoreless innings going back to an April 30 start against the New York Mets.

In nine career appearances (seven starts) against the Dodgers, Burnes is 3-3 with a 4.38 ERA.

On Tuesday, Arizona was without a hit through six innings against Yamamoto. Ketel Marte broke up the no-hitter in the seventh, Moreno tied it in the ninth and Carroll gave Arizona the lead in the 10th.

“Our guys were fighting the whole day and I’m proud of that,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We just came up a little short. It stinks. We had everything lined up. It would have been kind of a steal win for us, considering what Yamamoto did, but it wasn’t in the cards.”

The Dodgers scored three times in the ninth against right-hander Shelby Miller, who was on the mound for the third consecutive game. Max Muncy ended the game with a sacrifice fly.

–Field Level Media