Dodgers Rally To Win 14 Inning Marathon, Sweep Snakes, Climb Back To .500

I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted. I can’t imagine how the players must feel. The Dodgers just played their longest game of the season, a 14 inning 7-5 thrilling comeback victory over the Arizona Dbacks, finishing a three game sweep. This was the Dodgers first sweep of the Snakes since 2010.

Oh how the .500 mark toys with Dodger fans. The Dodgers came into the final game of the road trip needing just one more win to finally get back to a .500 record for the first time since May 1. The Dodgers had to fight for this one, and battled they did. Extra inning games against teams like Arizona always scare me. Because they have quite a few guys in their lineup that can homer at any time. The other thing to consider is to be able to score and get a lead quickly before all of your pitchers are used up and you have to bring in Brandon League. It was close Dodger Fans.

Ryu only lasted five frames, and allowed five runs. Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

Of course that wouldn’t have had to even be a possibility had Hyun-jin Ryu not turned in a shaky outing. Ryu can’t win them all I suppose, but he was shaky from the get-go. He allowed a home run to Aaron Hill and two walks in the first inning. Then Pollack tripled and scored on a Hill sac fly in the third. Note that former Dodger Cody Ross also robbed Mark Ellis of a home run with his leaping grab in the top of the first.

The Dodgers had a ton of scoring opportunities, but left 13 men on base. Nick Punto screwed up two scoring rallies in the second and fourth innings with pop-ups. Van Slyke punted one in the fifth by grounding into a double play.

The Dodgers would rally against southern California native and 21 year old rookie Tyler Skaggs, who the Dodgers had only seen once before. The Dodgers scored a run in the fourth. Hanley walked, and singles from A.J. and Ethier, which set-up a sac fly by Scott Van Slyke. In the top of the fifth, the Dodgers scored two more runs, but could have scored more had Van Slyke not GIDP’d. Hanley’s two-run double, gave the Dodgers a 3-2 lead, and knocked Skaggs out of the game.

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Tyler Skaggs (37) walks back to the dugout after pitching against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field.-Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

Ryu then coughed up the lead in the bottom half of the fifth, by allowing the Snakes to plate three runs. Singles from Pollack and Hill put Ryu in deep trouble. A two-run double from Paul Goldschmidt, and an RBI single from Prado, gave the Snakes a 5-3 lead. The Dodgers would rally though. First to tie the game, and then to take the lead. Gonzalez homered in the top of the seventh, to bring the Dodgers to within a run at 5-4.

The Dodgers were down to their last out against Arizona closer Heath Bell in the bottom of the ninth. Gonzo worked a huge walk, which brought up Hanley. Ramirez singled, and then A.J. Ellis’s clutch single scored picnch-runner Jerry Hairston to tie the game up at 5-5! It’s another patented Heath Bell meltdown!

Chris Withrow was brought in the tenth inning, and pitched three solid frames to keep the Dodgers in the game. Kenley Jansen earned the win, for pitching a scoreless fourteenth inning.  Come to think of it, the entire Dodger bullpen came up golden with nine scoreless frames. The entire bullpen minus League, contributed.

Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Aaron Hill (2) hits a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu (99) in the first inning at Chase Field. Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers used back-to-back home runs by Hanley and A.J. in the top of the fourteenth inning off a tiring Collmenter, and that was it. Jansen pitched a second inning of relief to close shop. The Dodgers win 7-5 in 14 innings and sweep the Dbacks! The Dodgers are now back to .500! If you braved the perils of an extra inning game at Arizona, and stayed up all night to watch this delicious Dodger win, kudos to you! Lasorda’s Lair salutes you! This recap is for you.

The Dodgers fail to score in the top of the first. Former Dodger Cody Ross robs Mark Ellis of a home run as he leaps over the left field wall to make the catch on the long drive to left. Skaggs whiffs Yasiel Puig for the second out. Adrian Gonzalez singles up the middle, but a Hanley fly ball to center ends the frame.

Ryu has first inning problems again. He had them in his last start. First he whiffs AJ Pollack, and we think that all is well. Nope, it is not. Aaron Hill homers to left, and the Snakes take a 1-0 lead. Ryu then annoyingly walks Paul Goldschmidt, and after a long drive to center off the bat of Cody Ross, he walks Martin Prado as well. With two on, Wil Nieves grounds out. On a funny note, the ball took a strange path through the second base umpire’s legs.

The Dodgers blow a scoring opportunity in the top of the second. After an A.J. Ellis whiff, Andre Ethier’s ground ball single into right, and Scott Van Slyke’s flare single to center put runners at first and third. However Skaggs gets Nick Punto to pop-up after a nine pitch at-bat. Ryu’s little tapper ended the inning. The score remains 1-0 Snakes.

Cody Ross sure is annoying-Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

Ryu pitches a scoreless bottom of the second, finishing it off with a whiff of Tyler Skaggs. Poor Mark Ellis is robbed of another extra base hit again. This time by a diving Pollack in center field in the top of the third. The Snakes plate a second run in the bottom of the third. Pollack leads off with a triple, and scores on a Hill sacrifice fly. That makes the score 2-0 snakes.

The Dodgers threaten again in the top of the fourth. A walk to Hanley, A single to center from A.J. Ethier’s smash off of Hill’s glove goes into right field, and the bases are loaded. Scott Van Slyke’s long fly ball to right scores Hanley, and A.J. advances to third. The Dodgers cut the lead in half, the score is 2-1 Snakes. But of course Punto’s second pop-up with men on base screws the rally. Ryu follows with a broken bat line out. The Snakes cling to a 2-1 lead.

The Dodgers take the lead and deliver a knockout blow for Tyler Skaggs in the top of the fifth. The inning starts with M.Ellis reaching on what is ruled as an infield single, but what really was a fielding bumble by Skaggs. Puig singles to left, sending M.Ellis to second. Gonzo’s grounder to first moves the runners over to second and third. Hot-hitting Hanley Ramirez delivers with a two-run double to dead center field that lands at the base of the wall. Ellis and Puig score to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead! Skaggs then walks A.J., and uncorks a wild pitch at the same time, allowing Hanley to move to third. Skaggs then walks Ethier to load the bases. Out comes Kirk Gibson to remove the young right hander, and in comes right hander Will Harris. But of course Van Slyke’s annoying double play ends the rally and the inning.

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter (55) talks with infielder Paul Goldschmidt (44) during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. The Dodgers defeated the Diamondbacks 7-5 in extra innings.-Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

And of course Ryu serves it right back up in the bottom of the fifth. The Snakes score three times in this frame to take a 5-3 lead. Pollack and Hill consecutive singles, and Goldschmidt a two-run double gives Arizona the lead. After a Cody Ross grounder, a Prado single scores another run to make it 5-3.

The Dodgers inched a bit closer in the top of the seventh. Gonzalez hits a line drive home run over the right field wall against David Hernandez. Gonzo’s 14 home run of the season makes the score 5-4 Snakes.

Move to the top of the ninth, with the Dodgers still down 5-4. Enter Heath Bell, and it looks like the Dodgers are toast. Mark Ellis flies out. Puig whiffs on a 3-2 breaking ball low and away. Sigh. But then Gonzalez battles Bell for a nine pitch at-bat which ends up a walk. Up comes Hanley who singles up the middle as pinch-runner Jerry Hairston advances to second. A.J. Ellis a clutch single into left to score Hairston and the Dodgers tie it up!

Gonzo homers in the seventh-Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

Paco disposes of the Snakes in the bottom of the ninth, to send the game into extras. With Josh Collmenter on the mound, Uribe grounds back to the box. With Paco’s spot due up, the Dodgers are out of position players to use, so pitcher Zack Greinke has to pinch-hit. Remember greinke had three hits on Monday night, and got the win. He draws a full count walk. Crawford grounds out. Mark Ellis has a great 14 pitch at-bat against Collmenter and ends up grounding out, but makes him use a lot of pitches.

Chris Withrow comes in sporting a similar Van Slyke type mustache to pitch the bottom of the tenth. He walks Pollack, but gets Hill to ground into a double play. Withrow then whiffs Goldschmidt on a nice breaking ball, and we move into the eleventh.

Collmenter pitches another scoreless frame in the top of the eleventh. Except for a walk to Hairston he has little trouble. Withrow whiffs Collmenter and Hill and we move into the twelfth. Uribe with a one-out infield single off of Collmenter in the top of the 12. After WIthrow sacrifices, Crawford grounds out, and we go to the bottom of the 12. Withrow whiffs Collmenter and Hill, and we go into the thirteenth.

The top of the thirteenth the Dodgers go down in order, and in the bottom of the thirteenth, Withrow pitches another solid frame, to send the game into the top of the fourteenth! The Dodgers finally break it open in this frame. Hanley bombs a shot halfway up the right field seats, the Dodgers go up 6-5! A.J. Ellis follows with a home run of his own, giving the Dodgers a much needed insurance run. 7-5 Dodgers!

Jansen stays out for his second inning of work in the bottom of the fourteenth frame. Parra whiffs. Pennington pops out. Montero draws a walk. Jansen whiffs Pollack on a called third strike, and the Dodgers win it!

What a game huh? These games are very important because they are a two-game swing. The Dodgers collected 15 hits tonight. Hanley goes 3 for 6 with a home run three runs driven in and two runs scored. Yasiel Puig went 1 for 7 with three whiffs, and a run scored. His batting average is now at .394.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) is congratulated by catcher A.J. Ellis (17) after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 14th inning at Chase Field. The Dodgers defeated the Diamondbacks 7-5 in extra innings-Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

This game was so crazy, Mattingly had to use Fedex at first base in the last inning. Both teams had run out of position players. The only pitcher the Dodgers had left was League. Oh and I forgot to mention, the Dodgers were without Skip Schumaker because he was serving his suspension for that stupid brawl with the Snakes back in June. He has one more game left to serve, so the Dodgers have to play a man short for one more game tomorrow.

The Dodgers finish the trip at 7-2 and come home with a 45-45 record. The Boys in Blue are now 1.5 games back of first place, with four games left until the all-star break. The Dodgers may have to make a move to bring up a fresh arm for the bullpen since everyone was used up, It was well worth it though.

Ok it’s off to bed for me. Sweet dreams guys. The Dodgers return home tomorrow for the last series before the all-star break against Colorado. Game one will show a duel of the lefties, as Drew Pomeranz, will take on Chris Capuano at 7:05 PM.