Diamondbacks jump all over another Dodgers starter and beat LA 4-2 for a 2-0 lead in NLDS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Not many people picked the Arizona Diamondbacks to beat Milwaukee in the NL Wild Card Series. Even fewer pegged them to take down the 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series.

Surprise! After a rough ending to the regular season, the upstart youngsters from the desert are sailing through the playoffs.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and the Diamondbacks made quick work of another Dodgers starter, beating Los Angeles 4-2 on Monday night behind Zac Gallen for a 2-0 lead in their NLDS.

“Why would we play with anything to lose?” closer Paul Sewald said. “We were the sixth seed. We weren’t supposed to win in Milwaukee. No one is going to pick us to beat the Dodgers when we haven’t played well against them. We’re going out there with a lot of confidence.”

The D-backs, who earned the final National League wild card despite losing their last four regular-season games, improved to 4-0 in these playoffs — all on the road against division winners. They were 5-8 against the Dodgers during the regular season, losing the final five meetings.

“These guys are very hungry and they feel like they have a lot to prove,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.

They’ll try for a stunning sweep of the NL West champions when the best-of-five series shifts to Phoenix for Game 3 on Wednesday.

“It’s two games, but our backs are against the wall,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ve got to make some type of adjustments and we have no more margin.”

Gallen allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings for his second win of the postseason. Gurriel laced an RBI single to cap a three-run first, and the Diamondbacks chased rookie starter Bobby Miller in the second.

“I don’t think it’s any secret we’ve come in here and struggled,” Gallen said. “It was good for us just mentally to come in here and set the tone, have a little faith in ourselves.”

The early outburst came two nights after Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw was tagged for six runs while getting only one out during Arizona’s 11-2 rout in Game 1.

Gurriel added a solo homer in the sixth to make it 4-1. Sewald pitched a perfect ninth for his third save of the postseason, aided by a nice catch from Gurriel in left field.

Gallen