Diamondbacks Make It a Dozen Consecutive Wins on Error in Extra Innings, Dodgers Fall 3-1

There are moments in baseball when everything hinges on a split second. It's scary to think how important luck plays in these moments. 

For the Dodgers, Tuesday night was one of those unlucky moments. 

Arizona scored two unearned runs at the plate after a ball ricocheted off the shoulder of runner Chris Herrmann, and the Diamondbacks won their 12th consecutive game, 3-1, over the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The inning started on a sour note as much-maligned relief pitcher, Pedro Baez, entered the game in the top of the 10^th and promptly walked the first two batters he faced.

"If you look at those first two walks to start the inning, that kind of led to that inning," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts. "He's getting behind hitters. We need to clean that up."

After a groundout to third base by Monday's hero, J.D. Martinez, Arizona had runners on second and third with one out.

Diamondbacks second baseman, Brandon Drury, hit a groundball down the third base line and Turner threw home to get the out at the plate. 

"The ball was right on the line, too close to let it go, but maybe it could have gone foul," Turner said of the play. "It was a tough throw with the runner running in the lane. It just barely clipped his shoulder enough to change the direction of the ball."

Unfortunately, the ball hit Herrmann's shoulder and off the forearm of Grandal, rolling all the way to the backstop, allowing an extra insurance run to score. 

"I don't even know where the ball is once it hits him," Grandal said of the game-changing play. "It just so happens we caught a tough break. That's just how it's been."

We'll take it. #DbacksWWWWWWWWWWWWin pic.twitter.com/F9xPPKQ77q— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 6, 2017

Indeed, it was a tough break for the Boys in Blue as the game-winning error was a beautiful metaphor for the way these two teams have been playing lately.

Luck seems to be on the side of the Snakes, who are the hottest team in the National League and have not trailed in 98 consecutive innings, tied with the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers for the third longest streak in MLB history.

"That's a lot more amazing to me than the winning streak," said Snakes' starting pitcher Zack Greinke. "I didn't even know that was possible. That's pretty amazing."

The 12 consecutive wins for the Diamondbacks ties a franchise record set in 2003. Overall, Arizona has won 14-of-15 including 11 straight against the N.L. West. 

Meanwhile, the Dodgers are in a free fall, losers of 10 of their last 11 and a season-high five straight overall, including five consecutive losses to Arizona in the last week alone. 

"I'm glad it's happening," Grandal said of the team's current rut. "It might as well happen now instead of the playoffs. This is just another stepping stone. I'm glad someone is trying to challenge us, especially from our own division." 

Lost in the two unearned runs that decided Tuesday's contest, was the pitching duel between Hyun-Jin Ryu and former Dodger starter, now turned enemy, Zack Greinke. 

Both pitchers fared well, taking turns throwing three innings of no-hit baseball.

Ryu blinked first, allowing the first run of the game in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI doubly by Daniel Descalso.

Ryu, did not factor in the decision, surrendering just one run on three hits with five walks and seven strikeouts in six innings.

The first hit, and run of the game for the Boys in Blue came in the bottom of the fifth when Yasmani Grandal led off with a solo shot to right-center field.

The homer was Greinke's former catcher's 19^th of the season and tied the game.

"In my opinion we both play the cat and mouse game," Grandal said of Greinke. "He made a mistake and I hit a homer, he made a pitch in my next at-bat and he struck me out. It's fun to play against a guy like that."

Greinke, did not factor in the decision, allowing just the one run on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts in seven strong innings.

"We're playing great baseball. It's been fun. I pitched good for the most part," said Greinke of his start. "After the first four innings I thought maybe I'm going to do just as good as Robbie, but it didn't quite keep up the pace with him."

Since leaving the Dodgers in free agency after the 2015 season, Greinke is 2-4 with a 4.49 ERA (20ER/35.1IP) in seven starts against the Dodgers.

The Dodgers would not score again as poor baserunning on the part of Chris Taylor crushed an L.A. rally in the bottom of the ninth.

Smrt baserunning pic.twitter.com/XK1knlRhH9— MLB Insider Dinger (@atf13atf) September 6, 2017

"It was an aggressive mistake," Taylor said of the play. "It was an instinctual, heat of the moment play. I thought it was deep enough and I'd be able to get there. If I had to do it all over again I'd stay on first."

Both runs by the D-backs in the top of the 10^th were unearned, and closer Fernando Rodney closed out the game for his 35^th save of the season.

"It was a coincidence that the ball hit me," Diamondbacks catcher Chris Herrmann said about the unearned runs in the 10th. "It worked out for us, we got two runs and came away with the victory."

With the victory, Arizona guarantees themselves the season series over the Dodgers in 2017 as they lead 10-8 with one game left to play.

"It just timed up good," finished Greinke on how Arizona was able to win the season series against the Dodgers. "We're playing good while they're going through a rough patch. I wouldn't say it means to much."

Up Next:

RHP Taijuan Walker heads to the mound for the Diamondbacks as the Dodgers counter with Kenta Maeda in the series finale at the Ravine on Wednesday at 7:10PM PST.