PHOENIX – The Diamondbacks blew off blowing a five-run lead pretty easily.
A day after a most discouraging defeat, the D-backs responded with an 11-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, preventing a series sweep with their highest-scoring game of the season while taking some the sting off an 8-7 loss Tuesday.
It was the kind of all-around game the D-backs have not had many of this year, and it came at a good time, with the NL West-leading Dodgers threatening to extend their lead over the D-backs to 12 ½ games.
"It was a good way to finish last (Tuesday) night … move on. The team needed it," manager Kirk Gibson said.
"It was important for us," Justin Upton said. "Not that guys were fazed by last night's loss. Obviously it hurts, but we did a good job of coming back and playing a whole new game."
The offense was the focal point, but left-hander Joe Saunders set the tone early when he struck out the side on breaking balls after giving up a double to Elian Herrera three pitches into the game.
The hitters took it from there against left-hander Ted Lilly, who is probably most remembered around here for throwing his glove to the mound after Chris Young's home run off him in the 2007 NLDS, when he was playing for the Chicago Cubs.
Every D-backs starter had a hit, they scored in each of the first five innings, and they had hit for the cycle by the fourth. The D-backs had lost their past five games against lefties, but Lilly gave up almost as many runs (eight) in 3 1/3 innings Wednesday as he had in his previous seven starts this season (nine).
It was a group effort. Ryan Roberts homered two batters into the D-backs' first inning, Willie Bloomquist and Aaron Hill had three hits apiece, Paul Goldschmidt reached base four times and Upton hit a two-run homer.
"Last night stung a little bit, but you have to bounce back. You can't sit back and lick your wounds and fell sorry for yourself," Bloomquist said. "I know those guys in the other clubhouse are not going to feel sorry for us. You have to tee it back up and go back after them, and we responded well."
Upton drove the ball into the right-field seats, just the way he did to win a game in Colorado on the last road trip. He has eight RBIs in his past seven games.
"I guess I only hit the ball the other way now," Upton said with a smile.
The Diamondbacks certainly need Upton to produce, and he seems to be settling in. He has been in the middle of a lot of big innings lately while hitting safely in eight of the last nine games, and he walked and scored in the first Wednesday night.
"I'm seeing the ball a little better. Getting pitches to hit and taking my walks when I'm not getting pitches to hit," Upton said.
"That's going to have to be my mentality. Don't give in to them. Early on in the season, I was swinging out of my zone. I have to make them throw me pitches to hit."
Upton is not the only player who appears to be hitting his stride at about the point in the season the D-backs turned it around in 2011.
Bloomquist has 16 hits in his past 35 at-bats while on an eight-game hitting streak. Goldschmidt has nine hits, including four doubles, in his past 23 at-bats.
Roberts had a season-high three RBIs, adding a sacrifice fly and a groundout to his homer. Roberts lost his job as the regular third baseman when Josh Bell was promoted Monday, but he has handled it like a team player and professional. He had two hits while starting at second base Tuesday.
"It doesn't really matter, man," Roberts said of his new role. "It's whatever it takes to win. It's better to win at the end of the day than to have personal stats and have personal goals. The main objective is whatever can help win a game. I'm not trying to do anything but play 100 percent when I get the chance. I'm going to come in here every day, work hard, stay in shape, stay healthy and, when the opportunity presents itself, go out and play."
Saunders gave the D-backs the kind of start they needed with the bullpen a little short, five relievers having been used Tuesday.
"Last night was really tough. It's one of those whirlwind emotional games. It says a lot about what this club is made of to come back out and start crushing the ball again," said Saunders, who gave up one run through six innings as the D-backs took an 11-1 lead.
Now comes the job of keeping after the Dodgers, whom the D-backs do not meet again until a four-game series here leading into the All-Star break.
"It's just a matter of crawling back, taking it one game at a time, one pitch at a time. That's all you can do. Hopefully we can whittle away at that lead," Saunders said.
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