Dodgers show some life, rally for 7-6 win on Rafael Furcal double
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Rare as water in the desert, and just about as needed, the Dodgers managed one of their best comebacks of the season Saturday.
Down 6-2 after just three innings, they scored three times in the bottom of the inning, tied it in the seventh on a wild pitch and then won it in the ninth thanks to a trio of hit-starved batters.
Rod Barajas snapped an 0-for-22 streak with a leadoff single in the ninth. He was erased on a would-be Trent Oeltjen sacrifice fly, but Jamey Carroll (1 for his last 21) singled and then Rafael Furcal (5 for 49) doubled into the left-center gap to score Oeltjen.
The Dodgers, who were just 3-45 when trailing after six innings, had rallied for a 7-6 victory before an announced crowd of 34,590.
It was only the third time all season the Dodgers have come back from a four-run deficit.
They hadn’t scored as many as seven runs in a game since that otherworldly 15-0 victory over the Twins on June 27.
The game had started so poorly for Ted Lilly, pitcher. Ted Lilly, hitter, was another story, and even rarer than a big Dodgers comeback.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, Lilly is paid to pitch, something he has been struggling with now for a month.
The Nationals scored three times in the top of the first, three more in the third and then watched the Dodgers claw back.
The Dodgers scored single runs in the first and second innings, then pulled within one with a three-run third, coming via perhaps the most unlikely bat in the lineup.
Matt Kemp’s double and Juan Rivera’s single set the stage for a James Loney sacrifice fly. A Juan Uribe single, Tom Gorzelanny wild pitch and an intentional walk to Dioner Navarro brought up Lilly.
That would be Lilly, who until Saturday didn’t have an RBI on the season. But he slapped a doubled past the diving glove of second baseman Danny Espinosa to drive in two. His sacrifice bunt in the second had also scored a run.
Just gonna go out on a limb here without checking and say three RBI makes for a career-high for Lilly. In his 11-year career, he previously had a total of 13 RBI.
Lilly the pitcher, remained another matter. He allowed six runs in five innings Saturday. In his last seven starts Lilly now has a 7.47 ERA. And with only another two years left on his three-year, $33-million deal.
The Dodgers’ bullpen, however, was just short of brilliant. Blake Hawksworth, Mike MacDougal and Javy Guerra combined to throw four scoreless innings, retiring the last 11 consecutive Nationals. ALSO:
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-- Steve Dilbeck