Snakes Slither Away With Win in 12th

Dodgers 2 5 2

Diamondbacks 4 7 0

F/12

WP- Thatcher (1-0)

LP- Perez (0-1)

S- Cahill (1)

HR- Montero (2), Van Slyke (2), Uribe (3)

The Dodgers’ offense was asleep at the wheel again in another long drawn out 12-inning loss on Friday night. It was not the way the Dodgers would have liked to open up their long homestand, and there were many miscues and offensive failures to be seen in the loss. Arizona finally won their fifth game of the year and the first win against the Dodgers this season.

Zack Greinke and Wade Miley both pitched very well, but neither starter was involved in the decision. It was a battle of the solo homeruns through most of the game. Miguel Montero went deep off Greinke in the sixth, Van Slyke homered off Miley in the seventh, and Uribe’s homerun sailed over the fence in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game up.

Apr 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke (21) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The top of the ninth was a total disaster, and the D-backs picked up the go-ahead run on a wild pitch on an intentional walk to Prado. The Snakes would plate the decisive two winning runs in the top of the twelfth off of Chris Perez who allowed a double to Pollack, a hit batter, and a two-run single to Aaron Hill.

The Dodgers only had a measly 5 hits over 12 innings, two of which were homeruns and the other three singles by Kemp, Gonzo, and Ramirez. Gonzo, Puig, and the .185 hitting Justin Turner each struck out three times. Here’s how it all played out…

Gerardo Parra singles past a diving Adrian Gonzalez to open the top of the first. No worries. Aaron Hill grounds to third base, and Juan Uribe smoothly initiates the double play around the horn. Zack Greinke walks Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Montero consecutively. Cody Ross hits a hard one hopper to Justin Turner for the final out of the inning.

The Dodgers also get their lead-off man on in the home half of the first as Yasiel Puig draws a walk. Justin Turner walks, and Puig goes sliding into second while attempting a steal. Hanley Ramirez grounds into a double play, but Puig advances to third. Adrian Gonzalez strikes out swinging, and the Dodgers strand Puig at third.

Chris Owings strikes out on a 66-mph Greinke breaking ball for the second out of the top of the second. Greinke blows away A.J. Pollack with his fastball, and the D-backs go down in order.

In the bottom of the second, Matt Kemp grounds out, Scott Van Slyke strikes out, and Juan Uribe flies out to center.

After Wade Miley strikes out in the top of the third, the annoying Parra singles to left field. Hill pops out in foul territory. Greinke strikes out

Apr 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Scott Van Slyke (33) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Goldy looking to end the inning.

Puig draws a two-out walk in the bottom of the third. That’s Puig’s second walk of the night, and suddenly Puig looks a lot more patient at the plate. Justin Turner strikes out swinging, and the Dodgers have yet to get a hit tonight off Miley.

Greinke flashes his glove in the top of the fourth on a Cody Ross comebacker. Zach, who hasn’t committed an error since 2010 according to Vin Scully, makes a cat-like move to snare the chopper. Greinke strikes out Prado to end the frame, but Greinke has already racked up 77 pitches through four innings.

Wade Miley, who was in the zone through three innings, begins to unravel a bit in the bottom of the fourth. He strikes out Hanley and Gonzo. Matt Kemp finally breaks the no-hitter as he singles to center on a breaking ball. With Scott Van Slyke at-bat, Matt Kemp is going. Kemp is safe at second on a wild pitch by Miley. SVS walks. The Dodgers can’t come up with the big hit, and Uribe flies out to center to end the inning.

Uribe makes a rare error in the top of the fifth. A.J. Pollack hits a hard grounder to third, and the ball bounces away from Uribe. Hanley makes a nice play by leaping “up the ladder” to take a hit away from Miley. Greinke fields another comebacker to end the inning. Still no score in the game.

More outs in the bottom of the fifth. Greinke and Puig both strike out.

The D-backs strike in the sixth as Miguel Montero sends a Greinke breaking ball over the center field wall. 1-0 D-backs.

Hanley draws a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth. Gonzo strikes out for the third time, and Miley has collected 8 Ks. Kemp pops out, and the Dodgers still have only one hit on the night so far.

Zack Greinke pitched 6 innings and allowed 1 run on 3 hits with 8 strikeouts and 2 walks on 105 pitches.

Apr 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero (26) throws to first base for an out against Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (13) during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Jamey Wright will pick up where Greinke left off in the top of the seventh inning. Wright only allows a single to A.J. Pollack. The Dodgers pitching is not the problem tonight, it’s the total lack of any offense whatsoever…

…until Scott Van Slyke smashes a solo homerun to right field to tie the game up 1-1! That’s going to be all for Miley. Kirk Gibson pushed his luck by letting Miley start the inning after 106 pitches. J.J. Putz will come out of the Arizona bullpen, and he retires Uribe, FedEx and Chone Figgins.

Wade Miley pitched 6 innings and allowed 1 run on 2 hits with 8 strikeouts and 5 walks on 108 pitches.

Chris Withrow is in for the Dodgers in the eighth and pitches a perfect frame. Goldschmidt has now struck out three times tonight in order to make Gonzo feel better about himself.

Brad Ziegler will pitch the bottom of the eight for the Snakes. Puig walks for the THIRD time of the night to lead-off the inning. Justin Turner fails to move Puig over on a bunt, and he goes down on strikes. Hanley hits a little nubber along the third base line, and Miguel Montero makes an off balance throw to get Hanley at first. Puig moves to second. Even though Gonzo has struck out thrice, the D-backs intentionally walk him to get to Kemp who has struggled against Ziegler in the past. Kemp grounds into a force out to end the inning. Sigh.

Withrow is back on the mound for the top of the ninth. Miguel Montero draws the dreaded lead-off walk. With Ross at-bat, pinch-runner Tony Campana steals second. Ross grounds out, and Campana advances to third on the play. Withrow than sails an intentional ball over FedEx’s head while trying to intentionally walk Prado, and Campana comes home on the huge mistake by Withrow. 2-1 Snakes. Prado than goes down to second on a pitch in the dirt  to Owings- another wild pitch. We have all seen enough of Withrow tonight, and Mattingly brings the hook. Brandon League will come in to face A.J. Pollack with two on one out. Pollack hits one off League’s leg, but he is able to throw him out on first. The runners move up one bag each. Eric Chavez grounds out, but the damage is done.

Addison Reed comes in to pitch the bottom of the ninth, and with one swing Juan Uribe ties up the game with a hooking homerun to left

Apr 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Tuffy Gosewisch (9) and pitcher Trevor Cahill (35) celebrate beating the Los Angeles Dodgers during the twelfth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

field! Uribe can do no wrong. The estimated distance on his third homerun of the year is 462 feet!  It’s a whole new ball game.

For some reason League is back out there in the tenth. Parra reaches on an infield single which is swatted at by League. League actually makes a nice pitch to strike out Hill (I can’t believe I wrote that). Goldy’s foul ball hits FedEx is in the privates, but Goldy is awarded first on catcher’s interference after FedEx’s glove allegedly hit Goldschmidt’s bat. Tuffy Gosewisch grounds into an inning ending double play!

In the bottom of the tenth, Puig strikes out against Randall Delgado. Turner strikes out. Hanley Ramirez plops a single to right field in front of Parra who was playing deep. Gonzalez will get another shot to extend his 12-game hitting streak, and Gibson immediately goes to the bullpen to bring in left-hander Joe Thatcher. Gonzo promptly singles to left field, and he now has a 13-game hitting streak. Dee Gordon will come off the bench to bat in League’s spot. Gordon hits into a force play, and we head to the eleventh.

Chris Perez gives us a heart attack in the top of the eleventh after Andre Ethier has to back up all the way against the wall to catch a ball hit by Ross. Ethier makes a second great catch in the inning for the third out as he slides to catch a fly ball hit by Owings. Andre makes two great plays after coming in off the bench late in the game.

Apr 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andre Ethier (16) makes a catch against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eleventh inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Thatcher sends the Dodgers down in order in the bottom of the eleventh.

A.J. Pollack stretches a single into a double to lead-off the top of the twelfth inning against Perez. Cliff Pennington is hit by the pitch in his foot. His sacrifice bunt works, and the runners advance to second and third. Aaron Hill comes up with a two-run single, and the D-backs take a 4-2 lead. Puig makes a Superman type diving attempt on a ball hit by Goldy, but he still manages to get the force out at second. Goldy is thrown out at second to end the inning.

Trevor Cahill is in to pitch in the bottom of the twelfth for Arizona. This is just his second career relief appearance. Ethier grounds out. Puig strikes out. Justin Turner fittingly ends the game with a line out to short.

Dodgers fall to 10-7 while the D-backs are happy to pick up their fifth win of the year.

Tomorrow Game 2 will be at 5:10 p.m. PT as Dan Haren counters Michael Bolsinger.