LOS ANGELES -- The Diamondbacks on Sunday were shut out for the second time in three games and manager Chip Hale said he planned to speak to his hitters Monday in Colorado. He sees them pressing, which is not a mile-high issue.
"When you are not swinging the bat as a group, it kind of starts to pile up against you," Hale said. "I think guys try to do too much. If the worst thing that happens is guys try too hard, that's a pretty good thing for a team. They care. They want to do well. And I think eventually once they learn how to handle these situations, we'll do better."
Catcher Yasmani Grandal's walk-off homer off Evan Marshall in the 13th inning gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 1-0 victory in the series finale, the third time in seven games the D-backs (10-14) did not scored. There were shut out here Friday, 6-0, and could not hold three leads Saturday before losing 6-4. They hit .211 in the series and were 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
Paul Goldschmidt, who was 6-for-13 in the series, gave the D-backs their first best chance to break a scoreless tie when he opened the 10th inning with a double to right-center. But the D-backs did not get him farther. Sergio Santos struck out Mark Trumbo and Yasmany Tomas, and after an intentional walk Paco Rodriguez got Jordan Pacheco to ground out.
Pacheco and Aaron Hill singled with two outs in the top of the 13th inning, and Pacheco was thrown out at the plate when he attempted to score on a pitch that bounced off to the first base side. Grandal got to it and fed J.P. Howell, who put a no-look tag on Pacheco at the plate.
"I got a good jump," Pacheco said. "I saw it bouncing away. You have to take chances in the game right there. I took a chance, and he did a great job covering the plate. It sucks. It's a hard one to swallow."
Hale said Pacheco did the right thing.
"That was just a fantastic play by the catcher and the pitcher," Hale said. "Any other situation I think he would have made it. Just wasn't going to happen today, I guess. We weren't able to do much besides 'Goldy.' You are not going to win too many games with that kind of production."
The series was reminiscent of the offensive struggles against Pittsburgh last weekend, when the D-backs had two runs and 18 hits and were 2-for-20 with runners in scoring position in being swept. The D-backs recovered by taking two of three against Colorado after that, taking the final two games of the series 12-5 and 9-1.
"We want and need, more than anything, to play better as an offense than how we did these last three games," Goldschmidt said. "It was kind of the same thing against Pittsburgh. You have to give their pitchers a lot of credit. They threw well. But if we want to win, if we want to make the playoffs or do whatever our team goals are going to be, we have to find a way to play a little bit better. All 25 guys of us and the coaching staff, we are going to be looking for any way to get better. So if it is a hitter's meeting or individual conversations or nothing, whatever it is, we as a team are going to continually look to get better every day. Hopefully it results in some wins and some good play out there."
Marshall elevated the pitch that Grandal hit into the seats in left-center in the 13th, losing his second straight game after giving up two runs in the seventh inning Saturday.
"I elevated it, but it was still moving a whole lot. Tip you cap to the guy for getting it in the air," Marshall said. "It's hard to keep your head up after a couple of games like this, but that's all you can do."
Chase Anderson gave up only two singles and a walk while striking out seven in six innings, leaving after 95 pitches, and the four relievers behind him kept the Dodgers from scoring, even after Andre Ethier's leadoff double in the 10th inning. Enrique Burgos struck out four in two innings after taking over with Ethier on second base.
"We got a lot of good pitching," Hale said.
The hitting will come.
"I think we just have to relax a little bit," A.J. Pollock said. "You have guys who want to get it done now. Probably a little over-swinging and getting outside the zone. I know I've done that. You want to pick up the pitchers because they are throwing well. It wasn't happening, and you start to press.
"When everything is going good, it's really simple. You are just trying to hit a ball hard.
Tomas showed quick range in the second inning, when he dove to his left to catch a hard one-hopper by fellow Cuban Alex Guerrero, got to his feet and threw out Guerrero by a step. It was a plus defensive play, the most athletic Tomas has made to date.
0 -- earned runs allowed by Chase Anderson, the first time in 26 career starts he kept the opponent from scoring.
* Enrique Burgos was dominating for the most part in spring training, and he carried that over to his third major league appearance Sunday, when he struck out four in two innings and left the winning run on second base with no outs in the 10th inning. He got three of his strikeouts on the 88 mph slider that is an evil complement to his 97 mph fastball.
* The D-backs wanted to back off Marshall to try to get him a softer landings, Hale said before the game, but by the 12th inning the manager was about out of options. Daniel Hudson pitched two innings Friday and was unavailable, and Addison Reed was being held for a possible save opportunity. Brad Ziegler, who pitched Saturday, was the only other reliever in the bullpen.
* Archie Bradley is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Monday at Salt River Fields, and the D-backs still believe he could return for a May15 start in Philadelphia.
Tomas can block third base, too. Tomas tweaked a knee when he held his ground as Howie Kendrick tried to stretch double into a triple with one out in the ninth. Kendrick plowed feet-first into Tomas, who was knocked backward but held onto the ball. Trainers looked at Tomas, who stayed in the game, although he was later removed in a double-switch. Hale said Tomas is OK.
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