Dodgers blow three-run lead, fall 6-4 to Diamondbacks
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One player going, one player staying, one team headed nowhere.
On a night the Dodgers learned right-hander Hiroki Kuroda would not approve a trade and that shortstop Rafael Furcal reportedly would, they jumped to a 4-1 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
And then watched it all come crashing down in a forgettable sixth-inning meltdown by Chad Billingsley, the Diamondbacks rallying for five runs to hand the Dodgers a 6-4 defeat Saturday before an announced crowd of 37,139.
The Diamondbacks loaded the bases against Billingsley (9-9) in the sixth on a single and a pair of walks, then he walked a third consecutive batter to force in a run.
Xavier Nady’s fly to right brought in a second run, but one out later Billingsley walked his fourth batter of the inning to load the bases again.
At that point the Dodgers called on reliever Matt Guerrier to face red-hot Justin Upton, who promptly doubled past Matt Kemp in center field to clear the bases.
The Diamondbacks had erased the three-run deficit to take the 6-4 lead.
Billingsley was charged with all six runs, giviing up seven hits and five walks in his 5 2/3 innings.
The Dodgers had fallen behind 1-0 when they scored three times in the third inning. Tony Gwynn Jr. tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Casey Blake.
Andre Ethier followed with a hit before Kemp hit his seemingly nightly home run against Arizona. The home run was his 26th of the year and it left him with a National League-leading 82 runs batted in.
The Dodgers went up 4-1 in the fourth when Aaron Miles doubled and scored on a single by that sudden RBI machine, Jamey Carroll.
It gave Carroll 10 RBIs on the season. The Dodgers were so excited, they asked for the ball. Carroll, who is batting .294 on the season, was hitting only .157 with runners in scoring position.
While Kuroda decided not to waive the no-trade clause in his contract, Furcal is not expected to be around to witness the Dodgers floundering. He has reportedly approved a trade that will send him to St. Louis.
The loss left the Dodgers with a record of 48-58, 12 1/2 games back of the Giants in the National League West. With their victory, however, the Diamondbacks pulled to within three games of San Francisco.
RELATED:
Dodgers-Diamondbacks box score
Hiroki Kuroda says no to a trade
-- Steve Dilbeck