Dodgers top Arizona on game-ending balk
May 31, 2010
LOS ANGELES (AP)—A blunder on the basepaths nearly cost the Los AngelesDodgers. But they got lucky with an even bigger mistake by the ArizonaDiamondbacks.
A balk by Esmerling Vasquez(notes) allowed Casey Blake(notes) to score the winning run inthe bottom of the ninth, giving the Dodgers a 5-4 victory Monday night.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Chad … AP – May 31, 9:55 pm EDT Demonstrators protest Arizona&… AP – May 31, 8:55 pm EDT YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 1; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100601/capt.c985eb5c50af4a97a9bff127a0760429-c985eb5c50af4a97a9bff127a0760429-0.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=71&yc=1&wc=268&hc=298&q=70&sig=Osg.PAHLRkHNMWUs935WrQ--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 2 Ari-LAD Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init(); Series at a Glance Arizona 4 LA Dodgers 5 Mon, May 31 – Final Arizona at LA Dodgers Tue, Jun 1 – 10:10 pm ET Arizona at LA Dodgers Wed, Jun 2 – 3:10 pm ET
The inning began with a walk to James Loney(notes) and a broken-bat single byBlake. Loney made a break for third base with Augie Ojeda(notes) charging in for apossible bunt, but was tagged out in a rundown after Ojeda retreated back towardthe bag.
“I don’t know what he was thinking,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. “Wehad some good momentum going and that play just took the wind out of oursails.”
Russell Martin(notes) worked the count to 2-2 before second base umpire Tim Tschidasignaled balk after some frantic gyrations by Blake and Dodgers third base coachLarry Bowa. Blake removed his helmet and jogged home.
“I saw what he did,” Arizona manager A.J. Hinch said. “He flinched, bothof his legs buckled, and he balked. It was pretty plain and simple to see, so Ididn’t talk to anybody.”
Jonathan Broxton(notes) (3-0) pitched the ninth to earn the victory. Starter ChadBillingsley(notes) was watching the game in the video room when he saw Vasquez’s balk.
“That was quite a ninth inning and quite a way to win the game,” he said.
Vasquez (0-1) took the loss. The last-place Diamondbacks dropped theirseason-high eighth in a row.
“This team sorely needs a win, and losing this way is just excruciating,”Hinch said.
The last time a game was won on a balk was Sept. 9, 2008, when TaylorBuccholz of Colorado balked in Kelly Johnson(notes) of Atlanta in the 10th inning,according to Stats LLC. Johnson is now with the Diamondbacks.
Rodrigo Lopez(notes) took a four-hitter and a 4-2 lead into the eighth, when theDodgers tied the game on a double error by Johnson. He booted a grounder byAndre Ethier(notes) in the hole and then threw it past first base, allowing RafaelFurcal(notes), who singled, and Matt Kemp(notes), who doubled, to score.
“He made an error at a really bad time. He’s been very sure-handed and he’sdone a nice job for us,” Hinch said. “It’s a killer.”
Ethier returned to the Dodgers after missing the previous 15 games becauseof a broken right pinky finger. He went 0 for 4 playing with a splint on thefinger and a foam pad near the knob of the bat for cushioning.
“It’s timing,” Torre said. “His rhythm isn’t there right now. I thoughthe was trying to pull the ball a little bit more.”
The Diamondbacks got the go-ahead run on second in the ninth with one outagainst Broxton, but he struck out Adam LaRoche(notes) and Chris Young to end theinning.
Justin Upton’s(notes) two-run homer off Billingsley gave Arizona a 2-0 lead in thefirst. The ball hit the top of the right field wall and went over.
Arizona added two runs in the second on solo homers by Young and ChrisSnyder(notes), with both going into left field.
“I got some fastballs up and they got it in the air and they left theballpark. You can’t do anything about it,” Billingsley said. “Even after thosetwo innings, I still knew I had good stuff, so I stayed with my game plan andjust kept being aggressive.”
Manny Ramirez(notes) led off the fourth with his 550th career homer, leaving theDodgers trailing 4-1. It was his second homer in as many nights and just hissecond since April 15. The Dodgers’ second run came on Kemp’s RBI single in thethird.
Lopez allowed six hits and four runs in eight innings, while striking outfour and walking one.
“We lucked out,” Torre said. “Lopez pitched a hell of a ballgame.”
Billingsley gave up four runs and six hits in eight innings. He struck out aseason-high 11 and walked none. The right-hander was erratic while facing hisfirst 13 batters, a stretch in which he gave up a double and three homers andstruck out seven.
NOTES: The Dodgers won via a walk-off balk for just the second time since1969 and the first since beating the Mets 4-3 on Roger McDowell’s 12th-inningbalk on May 28, 1989. … The Dodgers closed the month with a 20-8 record, theirsecond-best May in club history behind the 1962 team’s 21-7 mark. … Ramirez’shomer was his 1,813th RBI, moving him past Frank Robinson and into solepossession of 18th place on the career list. … The Diamondbacks didn’t allowany runs in the first inning for the first time since May 26, ending a five-gamestreak.
