Diamondbacks Outlast Dodgers In Five-Hour Marathon

Los Angeles got 19 hits - and lost. Each side blew two leads and used eight pitchers. It wasn't pretty but it certainly made for some enthralling baseball, as the Dodgers lost to the Diamondbacks 9-7 after eleven innings and just three minutes short of five hours at Chavez Ravine this evening. Read more at True Blue LA and AZ SnakePit

The crowd was announced at 44,621, but I doubt many more than 10% were still left, the calendar having turned to Thursday by the time Dodgers' catcher Russell Martin grounded out, finally ending a see-saw contest. Los Angeles took the lead in the first, taking advantage of some sloppy defense by Arizona to score two runs, and extended their lead to 3-0 in the third.

However, the Diamondbacks scored three runs in the fourth, including a home-run by Stephen Drew, to tie things up - at least, until an Andre Ethier home-run in the bottom of the same frame restored the Dodgers' advantage. Back came Arizona, taking the lead first in the sixth and then again in the seventh, Justin Upton going yard to straightaway center.

It looked almost over for LA in the ninth, as they still trailed. But Manny Ramirez doubled to lead off the ninth, his third hit of the night, and a pinch-runner scored to send the game into extras. After a scoreless tenth, Los Angeles sent Russ Ortiz to the mound, and Arizona obtained some measure of recompense for the large, ineffectual contract he had with them, by scoring twice, on a Chris Young single and Augie Ojeda sacrifice-fly.

Neither starter looked impressive.The D-backs Rodrigo Lopez gave up eleven hits, a walk and five runs in five innings, while Chad Billingsley allowed eight hits, three walks and six runs in 5.2 frames of work. Leo Rosales got the win for the D-backs with two scoreless innings of relief. Arizona improved their record to 5-3, while the Dodgers dropped to 3-5.

In the series finale tomorrow, Dan Haren and Hiroki Kuroda face off for the Diamondbacks and Dodgers respectively.