Buckner throws 6 scoreless innings as Arizona Diamondbacks beat Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2

Buckner shuts down Dodgers in D-Back’s 3-2 win

LOS ANGELES — Billy Buckner threw six scoreless innings and rookie Josh Whitesell hit a two-run double, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.

The Dodgers threw five wild pitches, tying the franchise record set on July 9, 1918, at St. Louis, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Buckner (2-1) allowed four hits, struck out five and walked two. The right-hander, who began the season in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen, has allowed six earned runs over 18 1-3 innings in three starts since being recalled May 22 from Triple-A Reno.

Tony Pena followed Clay Zavada and Juan Gutierrez out of the bullpen and gave up RBI singles in the ninth to Rafael Furcal and Juan Pierre before posting his first save of the season. Closer Chad Qualls was unavailable because of stiffness in his right forearm.

The Dodgers’ bullpen was responsible for each of the wild pitches. Cory Wade, who hasn’t allowed an earned run in 14 1-3 career innings against the Diamondbacks, threw three in the seventh inning — one of which allowed Miguel Montero to reach after a strikeout. But the right-hander escaped his own bases-loaded jam when Felipe Lopez broke his bat lining out to second base.

Two-time All-Star catcher Russell Martin wasn’t able to prevent two more wild pitches by rookie Brent Leach in the eighth, one on a strikeout that allowed Stephen Drew to reach. Gerardo Parra got to third on the play and scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by Mark Reynolds to make it 3-0.

Hiroki Kuroda (1-1) made his first appearance for Los Angeles since his opening-day victory at San Diego. He gave up two runs and three hits in five innings, throwing 86 pitches.

The 34-year-old right-hander was activated from the disabled list after missing two months with an oblique strain that occurred during a side session in the bullpen two days after his previous outing.

Kuroda gave up a leadoff double to Drew in the second, and picked him off before throwing his next pitch. But he walked his next two batters, and both scored when Whitesell doubled on a 3-2 pitch with two out. Whitesell was recalled from Triple-A Reno on Saturday when first baseman Chad Tracy went on the disabled list with an oblique strain.

Buckner escaped a jam in the third when Mark Loretta flied out with runners at the corners. Loretta started his third straight game at third base in place of Casey Blake, who is 5-for-8 lifetime against Buckner.

Blake, who sat out the previous two games because of a tight right hamstring, pinch hit for Wade with runners at first and second in the seventh and struck out. Montero’s passed ball put both runners in scoring position, but Juan Gutierrez retired Juan Pierre on a grounder for the third out.

The Dodgers, who will reach the midway point of Manny Ramirez’s 50-game suspension after Tuesday night’s game, are 14-10 since he left the lineup. Ramirez began a series of morning workouts at Dodger Stadium while the team was on the road, and is continuing them during this nine-game homestand.