Sudden Impact: Dodgers Awaken Just in Time

It took them eight innings, but the Dodgers finally woke up.  After scoring only one run for the first seven innings, the Boys in Blue erupted for four runs in the eighth to take a 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks.  It took a while to mount a comeback, as Billy Buckner held LA in check for seven innings, allowing only five hits and three walks during that span.  Despite scoring a run in the first inning, the Dodgers could not convert many opportunities, grounding into five double plays.  However, it was the double play they didn’t enter that proved to be key.

In the eighth, after Russell Martin singled with one out, Juan Pierre grounded one to the second baseman.  The D-Backs got Martin at second, but Pierre beat the throw to first.  Pierre’s speed saved the rally, and the Dodgers stringed together four two-out singles sandwiched between a walk: Rafael Furcal singled, Matt Kemp singled to plate Pierre, Ethier singled to drive in Furcal, Manny Ramirez walked to load the bases, James Loney singled to send Kemp home, and Ronnie Belliard hit a small chopper that went into no-man’s land in the infield for a hit, driving in Ethier as the go-ahead run.  Jonathan Broxton shut the door on the Snakes in the ninth to clinch the victory.

Chad Billingsley struggled early before settling down, but by the second inning he had already given up three runs.  By the time he was pulled from the game after the sixth, he surrendered four runs on eight hits and three walks, including five doubles.  James McDonald pitched a perfect seventh to get the win.