LOS ANGELES -- If Monday night's game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants was an omen for the pennant race to come, this thing could get wild in September. In fact, it already has.
The Dodgers beat the Giants 5-4 in 14 innings and by the time it was over, it was well past midnight PT on Tuesday, Sept. 1. By the end of this rambling wreck of a game, utility man Enrique Hernandez, who had gone on the disabled list earlier in the day, appeared in the corner of the dugout wearing a banana suit. Pitcher Clayton Kershaw got a pinch-hit appearance. Both teams ran out of position players. Comedian George Lopez kissed former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda on the head several times to ensure that the 87-year-old icon remained awake.
If it had gone much longer, pitcher Mat Latos was going to play right field for the Dodgers and outfielder Scott Van Slyke was going to pitch. When the assembled media began to laugh about that, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly quickly said, "I'm serious."
Adrian Gonzalez won it with a deep fly ball to left -- ruled a single -- off Yusmeiro Petit to drive in A.J. Ellis with the winning run. The Dodgers, who had loaded the bases with nobody out, streamed out of the dugout as if they had just won a playoff game. The Giants, who saw their postseason hopes dim considerably, walked slowly back to the visiting dugout.
"That's a big win," Dodgers reliever Chris Hatcher said. "That's probably our biggest win of the season and, hopefully, we can use this as momentum."
How it happened: The Dodgers bullpen -- much maligned -- worked eight scoreless innings, three of them by Hatcher.
The game dragged on five innings longer than the Dodgers thought it should have because they felt Sergio Romo balked with a right knee flinch with a runner at third in the ninth inning. Umpire Marty Barrett didn't want to hear any arguments from Jimmy Rollins, however, and the Dodgers didn't score. The Dodgers had poor situational hitting late in the game. In both the eighth and ninth innings, they stranded a runner at third with fewer than two outs.
Dodgers starter Brett Anderson probably deserved a better fate. The Giants got three runs off him in the third inning with scarcely a hard-hit ball. Gregor Blanco started it off with a slow roller deep to shortstop and beat out Rollins' throw for an infield hit. Brandon Belt had a solid single to drive in one run, but Marlon Byrd’s was simply well-placed. He hit a nubber to the right side. Chase Utley, stationed near second base, had a long run and made a sliding stop, juggling the ball, but not in time to stop two runs from scoring. Belt read it well and raced around from second to score.
The Dodgers surged ahead in the sixth with a Gonzalez two-run home run and an Andre Ethier solo shot off starter Jake Peavy. But Byrd, recently acquired from the Cincinnati Reds, lined a two-out RBI double to right to drive in Matt Duffy with the tying run. Juan Nicasio, taking his turn as the Dodgers’ setup man du jour, had walked Duffy leading off the inning.
What it means: The win pads the Dodgers' NL West lead to 4 1/2 games and gives them two chances this series -- with their co-aces pitching -- to deliver a punishing blow to the Giants' postseason hopes.
"At this point, you take the win and you celebrate tonight and you get ready to play tomorrow," Mattingly said. "These guys don't go away. They're not going to go away. It feels bigger than it is right now because of how it went down, but you have to keep playing."
Notable: The Dodgers made a trade with the Seattle Mariners for minor-league outfielder Justin Ruggiano in exchange for a player to be named or cash considerations. Ruggiano was batting .296 with an .899 OPS at Triple-A Tacoma. Ruggiano has gotten major league time with four teams. Monday night was the deadline for acquired players to make a team’s postseason roster. ... Out of position players, the Dodgers used pitcher Clayton Kershaw to pinch hit in the 11th inning. Kershaw had a chance to win it, but hit a sharp grounder right at second baseman Ehire Adrianza. ... One reason the Dodgers wanted to trade for Utley is that he runs the bases so much better than anyone else on their roster. Utley nearly manufactured a run in the eighth inning after hustling out a double off the shortstop’s glove, but the Dodgers stranded him at third with fewer than two outs. The key at-bat was pinch hitter Van Slyke’s popup to shortstop. ... Rollins is a bit of an odd choice to bat leadoff considering he was batting .218 coming into Monday and rarely walks, but he sparked both the Dodgers’ rallies Monday night. He led off the game with a bloop single to left and scored on Turner’s double and singled to right two batters before Gonzalez’s home run. ... After this series, the Dodgers likely will slide Mike Bolsinger back into their rotation for at least a turn. Bolsinger will be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City Tuesday when rosters expand. Ian Thomas and Joel Peralta will join the Dodgers bullpen.
Up next: The series continues Tuesday night with one of the more intriguing pitching matchups of the season. Zack Greinke (14-3, 1.61 ERA) opposes Madison Bumgarner (16-6, 2.97 ERA) at 7:10 p.m. PT.