GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NL: LA DODGERS (44-33) at ARIZONA (44-34)

NL: LA DODGERS at ARIZONA

<div class="pre">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LA DODGERS (0) AT ARIZONA (2) - EVENT LOG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

La Dodgers Starting Lineups -- R Furcal SS, J Pierre CF, R Martin C, J Kent 2B,
L Gonzalez LF, J Loney 1B, N Garciaparra 3B, A Ethier RF, D Lowe RHP.

Arizona Starting Lineups -- E Byrnes RF, S Drew SS, O Hudson 2B, T Clark 1B,
C Tracy 3B, C Young CF, S Hairston LF, C Snyder C, B Webb RHP.

Umpires -- Doug Eddings (HP), Dana Demuth (1B), Derryl Cousins (2B),
Kerwin Danley (3B).

Gametime Weather: 104 degrees, Clear, wind right to left at 8 mph.


LA DODGERS 1ST: R Furcal flied out to left. J Pierre flied out to center.
R Martin doubled to deep right. J Kent grounded out to pitcher. (0 Runs,
1 Hit, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 0.

ARIZONA 1ST: E Byrnes flied out to left. S Drew walked. O Hudson walked,
S Drew to second. T Clark grounded into fielder's choice to first, S Drew to
third, O Hudson safe at second on throwing error by first baseman J Loney.
C Tracy hit sacrifice fly to left, S Drew scored. C Young flied out to center.
(1 Run, 0 Hits, 1 Error) LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 1.

LA DODGERS 2ND: L Gonzalez singled to right. J Loney grounded out to
second, L Gonzalez to second. N Garciaparra grounded out to pitcher. A Ethier
intentionally walked. D Lowe grounded into fielder's choice to second,
A Ethier out at second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 1.

ARIZONA 2ND: S Hairston grounded out to second. C Snyder singled to
center. B Webb sacrificed to catcher, C Snyder to second. E Byrnes struck out
swinging. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 1.

LA DODGERS 3RD: R Furcal lined out to center. J Pierre walked. J Pierre
stole second. J Pierre stole third. R Martin struck out swinging. J Kent
walked. L Gonzalez fouled out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0,
ARIZONA 1.

ARIZONA 3RD: S Drew grounded out to first. O Hudson grounded out to
second. T Clark struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0,
ARIZONA 1.

LA DODGERS 4TH: J Loney singled to right. N Garciaparra grounded into
fielder's choice to third, J Loney out at second. A Ethier singled to left,
N Garciaparra to second. D Lowe bunted into fielder's choice to catcher,
N Garciaparra out at third, A Ethier to second. R Furcal grounded out to third.
(0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 1.

ARIZONA 4TH: C Tracy flied out to left. C Young popped out to second.
S Hairston doubled to left. C Snyder intentionally walked. B Webb grounded out
to shortstop. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 1.

LA DODGERS 5TH: J Pierre lined out to pitcher. R Martin walked. J Kent
grounded into double play, third to second to first, R Martin out at second.
(0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 1.

ARIZONA 5TH: E Byrnes grounded out to second. S Drew doubled to deep
center, S Drew out stretching at third. O Hudson struck out swinging. (0 Runs,
1 Hit, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 1.

LA DODGERS 6TH: L Gonzalez singled to right, L Gonzalez out stretching at
second. J Loney singled to center. N Garciaparra struck out swinging.
A Ethier flied out to center. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0,
ARIZONA 1.

ARIZONA 6TH: T Clark grounded out to second. C Tracy grounded out to
second. C Young flied out to center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0,
ARIZONA 1.

LA DODGERS 7TH: D Lowe singled to center. R Furcal walked, D Lowe to
second. J Pierre bunted into fielder's choice to catcher, D Lowe out at third,
R Furcal to second. R Martin struck out swinging. J Kent grounded into
fielder's choice to second, J Pierre out at second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors)
LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 1.

ARIZONA 7TH: S Hairston singled to center. C Snyder sacrificed to catcher,
S Hairston to second. M Reynolds hit for B Webb. M Reynolds struck out
swinging. S Hairston to third on wild pitch by D Lowe. E Byrnes singled to
left, S Hairston scored. J Beimel relieved D Lowe. S Drew struck out looking.
(1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 2.

LA DODGERS 8TH: E Byrnes in left field. C Quentin in right field. R Choate
relieved B Webb. M Reynolds at third base. L Gonzalez singled to left. J Loney
singled to right, L Gonzalez to second. J Cruz relieved R Choate. N Garciaparra
struck out swinging. A Ethier walked, L Gonzalez to third, J Loney to second.
O Saenz hit for J Beimel. O Saenz struck out swinging. J Valverde relieved
J Cruz. A Ojeda at shortstop. R Furcal grounded out to second. (0 Runs, 2 Hits,
0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 2.

ARIZONA 8TH: R Seanez relieved J Beimel. O Hudson tripled to deep center.
T Clark struck out looking. C Quentin hit by pitch. C Young fouled out to
shortstop, C Quentin to second. A Ojeda flied out to right. (0 Runs, 1 Hit,
0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0, ARIZONA 2.

LA DODGERS 9TH: J Pierre grounded out to shortstop. R Martin struck out
swinging. J Kent struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) LA DODGERS 0,
ARIZONA 2.</div>

 

Webb outduels Lowe in battle of sinkerballers

<h3>ARIZONA 2, LA DODGERS 0</h3>PHOENIX (Ticker) -- In a matchup between two of the bestsinkerball pitchers in the game, Brandon Webb outdueled DerekLowe to help the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 2-0 victory over theLos Angeles Dodgers.

Webb pitched in-and-out of trouble for seven innings and ChadTracy and Eric Byrnes knocked in runs as the Diamondbacksdefeated the Dodgers for only the second time this season ineight games.

Coming off of one of his worst performances of the season onFriday against the Baltimore Orioles when he surrendered sevenruns and seven hits in five innings, Webb (8-5) did not have aperfect frame in his seven-inning stint, allowing four leadoffhitters to reach and stranding 11 runners.

The reigning Cy Young Award winner stranded Juan Pierre at thirdbase with one out in the third, stranded runners on second andthird in the next frame and allowed the first two runners in theseventh to reach before escaping. In the sixth he was helpedby his defense, when right fielder Byrnes threw out LuisGonzalez trying to stretch a single into a double.

Webb surrendered seven hits and five walks in this one.

The Dodgers had runners on first and second with nobody out inthe eighth, but Juan Cruz replaced Randy Choate and struck outNomar Garciaparra and pinch hitter Olmedo Saenz around a walk toAndre Ethier before closer Jose Valverde retired Rafael Furcalto escape the eighth.

Valverde logged the ninth for his 25th save and first of morethan three outs, and put Arizona back into a first-place tiewith San Diego, one-half game ahead of the Dodgers.

Gonzalez and Loney had three hits each, but the Dodgers failedto advance an astronomical 30 runners.

Loney is 14-for-24 on the road trip, which ends Thursday.

Arizona got to Lowe in the first when Stephen Drew and OrlandoHudson drew one-out walks and moved moved up a base on firstbaseman Loney's fielding error. Tracy followed with a sacrificefly for a 1-0 lead.

The sinkerballer limited the D-Backs to just three hitsthereafter until Scott Hairston led off the seventh with asingle to center field, advanced to second on a sacrifice andscored on a two-out ground single to left by Byrnes, endingArizona's drought of 19 consecutive hitless at-bats with runnersin scoring position.

Lowe (8-7) yielded two runs - one earned - and five hits in 62/3 innings to drop to 2-5 in 10 career starts against Arizona.He entered 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his last six starts, and hehas surrendered no more than four runs in any of his 15 startsthis season.

 

Webb outduels Lowe in battle of sinkerballers

<h3>ARIZONA 2, LA DODGERS 0</h3>PHOENIX (Ticker) -- In a matchup between two of the bestsinkerball pitchers in the game, Brandon Webb outdueled DerekLowe to help the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 2-0 victory over theLos Angeles Dodgers.

Webb pitched in-and-out of trouble for seven innings and ChadTracy and Eric Byrnes knocked in runs as the Diamondbacksdefeated the Dodgers for only the second time this season ineight games.

Coming off of one of his worst performances of the season onFriday against the Baltimore Orioles when he surrendered sevenruns and seven hits in five innings, Webb (8-5) did not have aperfect frame in his seven-inning stint, allowing four leadoffhitters to reach and stranding 11 runners.

"That was a gutsy performance right there," Arizona manager BobMelvin said. "This is the biggest series of the year, to anextent. If there was a must win this year, that was it."

The reigning Cy Young Award winner stranded Juan Pierre at thirdbase with one out in the third, stranded runners on second andthird in the next frame and allowed the first two runners in theseventh to reach before escaping. In the sixth he was helpedby his defense, when right fielder Byrnes threw out LuisGonzalez trying to stretch a single into a double.

"I thought I had a chance to get it. When the ball landed at myfeet I realized I should have gone for it then it got by me,"Byrnes said. "Then I was frustrated and took out all myfrustration into the throw."

Webb surrendered seven hits and five walks in this one.

"This was one of those games that both of us were on top of ourgame," Webb said. "Around the second inning you know there wasnot a lot of room for error. I was very fortunate because stuffwise I didn't have very good stuff. The last game I felt greatand got hammered tonight felt terrible and didn't give up anyruns through seven."

The Dodgers had runners on first and second with nobody out inthe eighth, but Juan Cruz replaced Randy Choate and struck outNomar Garciaparra and pinch hitter Olmedo Saenz around a walk toAndre Ethier before closer Jose Valverde retired Rafael Furcalto escape the eighth.

Valverde logged the ninth for his 25th save and first of morethan three outs, and put Arizona back into a first-place tiewith San Diego, one-half game ahead of the Dodgers.

Gonzalez and Loney had three hits each, but the Dodgers failedto advance an astronomical 30 runners.

"We had some opportunities throughout the game but couldn't getthe big hit when we needed to," Dodgers manager Grady Little."It happens that way sometimes and then there are times you willscore seven, eight runs and leave just two people on."

Loney is 14-for-24 on the road trip, which ends Thursday.

Arizona got to Lowe in the first when Stephen Drew and OrlandoHudson drew one-out walks and moved moved up a base on firstbaseman Loney's fielding error. Tracy followed with a sacrificefly for a 1-0 lead.

The sinkerballer limited the D-Backs to just three hitsthereafter until Scott Hairston led off the seventh with asingle to center field, advanced to second on a sacrifice andscored on a two-out ground single to left by Byrnes, endingArizona's drought of 19 consecutive hitless at-bats with runnersin scoring position.

"With those two guys on the mound you never know what canhappen," Tracy said. "You take them when you can get thembecause runs are going to be hard to come by."

Lowe (8-7) yielded two runs - one earned - and five hits in 62/3 innings to drop to 2-5 in 10 career starts against Arizona.He entered 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his last six starts, and hehas surrendered no more than four runs in any of his 15 startsthis season.

"You look at tonight's game and I was fortunate to get out ofthe first inning. It was 30 pitches and luck," Lowe said."Sometimes when you get out of an inning like that it gives youconfidence. You realize you have a long way to go and you try tosettle down."