The Dodgers blew a five-run lead to send the game to extras, but Jeff Kent drove a solo shot in the top of the 11th to lead the Dodgers to the win to even the series.
The offense got two in the first off Russell Martin’s two-run shot with Delwyn Young on base. They then scored one run in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th innings to make it 6-1. Martin ended up 3 for 5 with 3 runs and 3 RBI, Jeff Kent 2 for 4 with 2 BB’s and 2 RBI, James Loney 2 for 6, and leadoff man Matt Kemp 1 for 4 with 2 BB’s and an RBI. Kent’s one-out homerun with a 3-2 count put the Dodgers up 7-6 and Saito held the bottom half to give the Dodgers the win.
Clayton Kershaw’s eighth start in the big leagues failed again to give him his first win as he pitched in his home state. He was tagged for three runs on six hits through 5 2/3. Kershaw left in the sixth allowing just one runner to touch home, but he was tagged for two more runs when Brian Falkenborg came in and gave up a three-run shot to Ty Wigginton. Hong-Chih Kuo came in to escape the inning but Jonathan Broxton allowed Carlos Lee to get a 2-RBI double in the seventh to tie the game. Joe Beimel and Chan Ho Park then kept the A’s scoreless until Saito came in for the bottom half of the 11th with a one-run lead courtesy Jeff Kent, and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to give the Dodgers the win and put them 2 1/2 above the Dbacks.
Hiroki Kuroda will get his first start tonight after spending three weeks on the DL. The bullpen was used heavily last night so the Dodgers will need some innings from Kuroda at the very least. He will face Runelvys Hernandez, who is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA this season.
