PHOENIX —
The Dodgers sent 44 batters to the plate Monday night.
They struck out a grand total of zero times.
In an 8-4 win that featured 10 hits, eight walks and the Dodgers’ seventh victory in their last eight games, the most important number was zero.
As in the club’s first game of zero strikeouts since August 2006.
In what just the fifth such game by any MLB club since 2017 (the other four all occurred last year), the Dodgers instead heeded manager Dave Roberts’ signature advice to “move the ball forward” — jumping out to 6-1 lead before hanging on late for a series-opening win at Chase Field.