Kelly’s hit ends D-backs’ 13-inning win over Dodgers, 5-4
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pinch-hitter Carson Kelly delivered an RBI double in the 13th inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks won the longest regular-season game in Dodger Stadium history, 5-4 over Los Angeles.
Pinch-hitter Christian Walker hit a tying three-run homer in the seventh for the Diamondbacks, who persevered to win a 6-hour, 5-minute marathon that ended early Saturday morning in just the second game of the regular season.
After Nick Ahmed drew a two-out walk from Yimi Garcia (0-1) and stole second in the 13th, Kelly dropped his 19th career hit just inside the right field line.
Matt Andriese (1-0) walked four and escaped several jams during 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief for Arizona. Greg Holland pitched the 13th for his first save.
One day after the Dodgers‘ historic eight-homer performance on opening day, A.J. Pollock hit the Dodgers’ only homer way back in the second inning. Los Angeles blew two late leads and went scoreless in the final six innings of the team’s longest regular-season home game.
The game was longer than the 5-hour, 42-minute epic played by the Dodgers and Mets over 19 innings on May 24, 1973.
It wasn’t the longest game ever in Chavez Ravine, of course: That dubious honor still belongs to the 18-inning, 7-hour and 20-minute epic played by the Dodgers and Red Sox in Game 3 of the World Series last October.
Pollock had four hits against his former team, driving in three runs and reaching base five times in his second game for the Dodgers after seven seasons with Arizona.
Corey Seager celebrated his second game back from Tommy John surgery with a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh, but Arizona tied it again in the eighth when Ketel Marte beat out his potential double-play groundout with the bases loaded, allowing David Peralta to score.
Los Angeles loaded the bases for Pollock with a two-out rally in the 10th, but Andriese made a spectacular behind-the-back stop of Pollock’s hot comebacker to end the rally.
Pollock didn’t hit any of the Dodgers’ eight homers Thursday, when they set the major league homers record for opening day and the franchise record for any game.
The slugger mashed a hanging slider from Robbie Ray in the second for the Dodgers’ ninth homer in their last nine innings. Pollock then drove a two-run single to center in the third, and he delivered a two-out double in the seventh before Seager brought him home.
The Dodgers were up 3-0 and apparently cruising when they brought in new reliever Joe Kelly to face Walker, who hit his second homer in two games.
Kelly, the former Boston reliever, made an inauspicious debut with the Dodgers, who gave him a $25 million, three-year deal. He gave up two more hits and another tying run in Arizona’s eighth-inning rally.
Ross Stripling pitched scoreless three-hit ball into the sixth for the Dodgers. Ray struck out nine over five innings for Arizona, but also walked five and left with a deficit when he couldn’t retire Pollock, who reached base three times.
Home plate umpire Scott Barry left the game before the 12th inning. He was hit squarely in the mask by a fastball from Matt Andriese during the 10th.
Russell Martin reached base five times in his first game since 2010 for the Dodgers, who reacquired the veteran catcher in the offseason. He walked and reached second in the 12th, but the inning ended when pinch-hitter — and opening day winning pitcher — Hyun-Jin Ryu barely failed to beat out a grounder to short.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: 1B Jake Lamb made his season debut, going 1 for 5. Lamb had back tightness during the spring, forcing the Diamondbacks to postpone their plan to prepare Lamb to play third base more often to get Walker’s big bat in the lineup at first base.
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw will throw a three-inning simulated game Saturday in his latest step back from shoulder inflammation. The ace is likely to make at least one minor league start before returning, manager Dave Roberts said.
UP NEXT
Arizona’s Zack Godley takes the mound in search of his first victory at Dodger Stadium, where he is winless in five career appearances. He faces Kenta Maeda, who is back in the Dodgers’ rotation for now after dominating as a reliever last season and following up with a strong spring.
