GAME DAY RECAP Saturday, September 22
LOS ANGELES 6, ARIZONA 5 (11 INNINGS)
LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- After Randy Johnson surrendered a ninth-inning lead, the Arizona Diamondbacks had to rely on their bullpen, which never has been a good thing.
A two-run single by Adrian Beltre in the bottom of the 11th inning capped a three-run rally as the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their slim playoff hopes with a 6-5 triumph over the Diamondbacks.
With closer Byung-Hyun Kim struggling, Arizona manager Bob Brenly opted to leave Johnson in to start the ninth, and the hard-throwing lefthander surrendered a tying two-run homer to Paul Lo Duca.
The game remained tied into the 11th, when a solo homer by Danny Bautista and an RBI groundout by Craig Counsell gave Arizona a 5-3 lead. With a chance to all but eliminate the Dodgers from the pennant race, Arizona sent Brian Anderson out to protect the lead in the bottom of the inning.
But Anderson, who has struggled mightily this season, allowed a leadoff single to Shawn Green. Rookie Mike Koplove (0-1) walked Gary Sheffield and hit Lo Duca with a pitch.
Eric Karros walked to force in one run and Mike Morgan relieved Koplove. Beltre greeted the veteran righthander with a base hit up the middle, scoring Sheffield and Lo Duca. Eric Gagne (5-7), who got the final two outs in the top of the 11th, notched the victory.
The Dodgers climbed within three games of the first-place Diamondbacks in the National League West and trail St. Louis by 4 1/2 games in the wild card chase.
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