Hudson Homers, Pitches DBacks Past Dodgers
PHOENIX (AP) -- Daniel Hudson threw a five-hitter, belted his first big league home run and finished with three RBI, almost single-handedly leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
Hudson (10-5) struck out three and walked none in his second complete game of the season. The right-hander also earned his first win since he beat Kansas City on June 23 and improved to 9-1 in 16 starts after beginning the season 0-4.
Hudson connected against Ted Lilly (6-10) in the sixth, then hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh to make it 4-1. The Dodgers had intentionally walked Xavier Nady to get to Hudson, whose single between shortstop and third raised his season batting average to .359.
Hudson retired his first nine batters and his last eight, striking out Aaron Miles to end the game. Hudson's first career complete game came on June 17 against the Chicago White Sox, who traded the Virginia native to Arizona last year.
The Diamondbacks took two of three in the series.
Lilly struck out five of six batters in one stretch, but the exception was Ryan Roberts' 12th homer that put Arizona up 1-0 in the second.
Hudson's line drive just cleared the fence in left in the sixth, and the Dodgers responded in the seventh.
Matt Kemp led off with a single and Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly then called for the hit and run with James Loney at the plate. Loney hit a soft line drive off the glove of shortstop Stephen Drew as he charged toward second, putting runners at first and third with one out.
Hudson nearly escaped the jam after Juan Uribe fouled out to first. But Kemp scored on a wild pitch before Rod Barajas grounded out to first to end the inning.
Arizona put it away with two runs in the seventh, loading the bases with the help of two intentional walks. After Chris Young singled and was sacrificed to second by Stephen Drew, Roberts was given a free pass by Lilly and Miguel Montero grounded out to put runners at second and third.
That's when Mattingly chose to intentionally walk Nady and bring in Blake Hawksworth to pitch to Hudson. The two-run single, on a 1-2 count, gives Hudson 12 RBI this year, most of any pitcher in the majors.
Notes
Dodgers SS Rafael Furcal, in a 3-for-34 slump since coming off the disabled list, was replaced in the lineup by Jamey Carroll. Furcal flew out as a pinch hitter in the eighth ... Arizona pitchers have four homers this season. ... In 32 starts since he was traded to the Dodgers, Lilly never has walked more than two in one game. He walked two Sunday, both intentionally. ... Hudson improved to 17-6 since coming to Arizona in the trade that sent Edwin Jackson to the White Sox. .. Arizona opens a four-game series against Milwaukee on Monday.
