'Definitely underrated' Gurriel leading D-backs' aggressive NLDS attack

LOS ANGELES -- The D-backs have enjoyed a well-timed power surge this October, slugging an MLB-high nine home runs through their first four playoff games. On Monday night, it was Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s turn to join the party.

Gurriel delivered an RBI single to cap a three-run first inning before adding his first career postseason home run to lift the D-backs to a 4-2 win in Game 2 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium, giving Arizona a commanding 2-0 lead in this best-of-five series.

The Dodgers cut the deficit to 3-1 after J.D. Martinez homered off Zac Gallen in the fourth, but Gurriel tacked on a key insurance run with a solo shot off Ryan Brasier in the sixth.

Gurriel saw four consecutive sliders in the at-bat, swinging through the first two before going down to get a 1-2 offering and blasting it out to left field to extend Arizona’s lead to 4-1.

“It was a good pitch,” Gurriel said in Spanish. “He threw me a bunch of sliders before. Fortunately, I was able to put a good swing on it.

“It came at a good time. They had scored to pull a little bit closer, so that run gave us a little bit more breathing room.”

It was the type of performance the D-backs have come to expect from “La Piña,” who has emerged as an energizing presence for the club since coming over from the Blue Jays as part of the Daulton Varsho trade last offseason.

Easily recognizable thanks to his shock of purple hair, Gurriel also distinguished himself on the field by earning his first All-Star nod and launching a career-high 24 homers in 2023. He batted .308 (28-for-91) with seven doubles, three home runs and 12 RBIs over his final 24 regular-season games and is now 4-for-17 with four RBIs over four playoff games.

“He’s been great,” fellow outfielder Alek Thomas said. “He’s a great teammate. He’s a competitor out there. He showed that today. Two big hits. Definitely underrated, for sure. Two runs that we definitely needed. He’s been awesome all year.”

For the second consecutive game, the D-backs’ offense came out firing against the Dodgers, who have received only two combined innings out of their starting pitchers so far this postseason.

Arizona put early pressure on Los Angeles' rookie right-hander Bobby Miller, who was forced to throw 32 pitches in the first inning of his postseason debut and departed after allowing three runs on four hits over 1 2/3 innings.

Corbin Carroll led off with a six-pitch walk and advanced to second after Ketel Marte laid down a bunt single, marking only the second time he’s bunted for a hit all year. Tommy Pham then lined a 100.3-mph sinker from Miller to left field to bring up Christian Walker with the bases loaded.

Walker smoked another drive to center field, but he had to settle for a sacrifice fly after James Outman made a leaping catch at the wall to record the first out of the inning. Gabriel Moreno extended the D-backs’ lead to 2-0 with an RBI groundout before Gurriel capped the three-spot with a two-out RBI single to shallow center.

The D-backs have now scored nine first-inning runs over the first two games of this NLDS matchup, as they also scored six against surefire Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw en route to pummeling the Dodgers, 11-2, in Game 1 on Saturday.

“We’ve been aggressive since the first pitch,” Gurriel said. “The top of our lineup has done great work putting pressure on pitchers and forcing them to make quality pitches early on.”

Gurriel will celebrate his 30th birthday on Tuesday, but if all goes according to plan, the D-backs could be staging another party later this week at Chase Field, where they’ll have a chance to eliminate the vaunted Dodgers and punch their ticket to their first NL Championship Series appearance since 2007.

“I think that ever since we found out we were going to the playoffs, we’ve been playing like we’ve got nothing to lose,” Gurriel said. “We’re just enjoying the game, and it’s showing on the field. We’re not trying to do too much.

“It’s not over yet, so we’ll have to finish the job at home.”