LOS ANGELES (AP) - J.D. Martinez keeps doing damage and the Arizona Diamondbacks keep winning.
Martinez tied a major league record by slugging four of Arizona’s six home runs, and the Diamondbacks routed the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers 13-0 on Monday night for their 11th straight victory.
“We were part of history,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “You can’t believe it after it keeps happening - second, third and finally the fourth time. It was amazing. J.D. works as hard as anybody at his swing, perfecting his craft, and he deserves that moment.”
Martinez was the headliner on a big night for a couple Diamondbacks.
Robbie Ray struck out a career-high 14 while helping second-place Arizona to its longest win streak since it also won 11 in a row from June 18-30, 2003.
“He has our number,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He was exceptional.”
Martinez is the 18th player in major league history to hit four homers in a game, and the 16th in the modern era. The team’s six homers tied for the most in Dodger Stadium history by a visitor.
“I felt like it was one of those days,” Martinez said. “I was seeing the ball well and when I was swinging, I was hitting it.”
Arizona grabbed a 2-0 lead on Martinez’s two-run shot off Rich Hill (9-7) in the fourth. Martinez added solo shots in the seventh and eighth innings before capping his power show with a two-run shot off Wilmer Font in the ninth.
Walking to the plate for the last time, Martinez recalled hitting three homers in a game in 2015 and thinking too much about a fourth in his final at-bat. He didn’t get it.
This time, he told himself if a fourth homer was meant to be, it would happen.
“There’s no point trying to force it,” he said.
Martinez has 34 homers this season, including 18 since being traded to the D-backs from Detroit on July 18. He has six multihomer games in his career, with five coming this season.
The 30-year-old right fielder is still adjusting to NL pitching, too.
“It’s pretty impressive to see a guy go out there and take four really good at-bats and hit four really long balls,” Ray said. “I thought there was no way they were going to throw him something he could hit. But sure enough he got a ball right where he wanted it and he put it in the seats.”
The Dodgers are still baseball’s best team at 92-45, but they remain mired in a season-worst slump, having dropped four in a row and nine in 10 games. It equaled the Dodgers’ largest shutout loss since June 25, 2004, against the Angels.
“We’re going to win a game again, I know that, and the tide will turn,” Roberts said. “We’re still in first place, I do know that.”
Ray (12-5) scattered three hits over 7 2/3 innings. The left-hander improved to 7-1 on the road. His strikeouts were the most by a D-backs pitcher since Randy Johnson had 15 against the Dodgers on Aug. 31, 2004.
Ray became the first pitcher in major league history to have four games with 10 or more strikeouts against the Dodgers in a single season.
“Any time you can keep this lineup in check like that is pretty special,” he said.
Hill retired nine of his first 10 batters, striking out seven of them, before Kristopher Negron singled leading off the inning. With one out, Martinez sent a 2-2 pitch into the left field pavilion.
The D-backs added four runs in the seventh against the Dodgers’ bullpen.
Martinez and Brandon Drury hit back-to-back homers off Pedro Baez to open the inning, making it 4-0. Jake Lamb and Adam Rosales singled before Baez was booed heavily as he walked off the field.
Chris Herrmann singled off Edward Paredes to load the bases. Ray reached on an infield single to second after the ball glanced off the glove of first baseman Cody Bellinger and squirted into the dirt, allowing Arizona to extend its lead to 6-0.
Hill allowed two runs and two hits in six innings, struck out nine and walked one.
NEVER TRAILING
The D-backs haven’t trailed for 88 consecutive innings, tied for the sixth-longest streak by a major league team since 1912.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: 1B Paul Goldschmidt got a second straight day off when he returned to Phoenix for an MRI on his right elbow. He is expected back in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Lovullo said Goldschmidt’s elbow has been bothering him for a week and he has experienced stiffness in the mornings before it loosens up.
Dodgers: SS Corey Seager, limited to pinch-hitting last week because of a sore right elbow, could be back in the lineup by this weekend. He took ground balls Monday and is expected to resume hitting Tuesday. … Fields was reinstated from the 10-day DL after missing the last eight games with a lower back strain. To make room on the 40-man roster, RHP Brandon McCarthy was transferred to the 60-day DL (right finger blister). He will start next week for Class A-Rancho Cucamonga in the playoffs.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (16-6, 3.08 ERA) starts against his former team Tuesday. He is 29-7 with a 2.30 ERA in 49 career starts at Dodger Stadium and is 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA in three starts against Los Angeles this season.
Dodgers: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-7, 3.71) allowed a season-worst six runs and eight hits in four innings at Arizona last week. He is 3-3 with a 4.02 ERA in nine career starts against the D-backs.
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