Big 12th leads to a Big Apple sweep

Down to their last position player available, Matt Treanor made sure his at-bat would count.

Treanor's two-run single in the 12th spearheaded a five-run inning, as the Dodgers got the sweep over the Mets, 8-3.  There was another 12th inning treat, as the Giants fell to the Phillies in extras, so the deficit in the NL West is down to 1 1/2 games.

Both the Dodgers and Mets were desperate for long starts from their starters, as the Dodgers were not going to use Kenley Jansen, and greatly wanted to avoid using Ronald Belisario and Josh Lindblom as well.  The Mets were even more desperate, as Johan Santana and freshly released Miguel Batista both couldn't go more than three innings.

Nathan Eovaldi and Jonathon Niese both got through three innings unharmed, but started to come apart in the third.  Matt Kemp singled leading off, and one out later, Juan Rivera hit his sixth of the season to go up 2-0.  In the bottom of the frame, a leadoff double by Daniel Murphy paved the way for Josh Thole's RBI single, and it was 2-1.

Eovaldi wasn't giving up lots of runs, but his pitch count was soaring nonetheless, so Don Mattingly gave the ball to Scott Elbert with two on and one out in the fifth.  Elbert got Ike Davis swinging and Murphy to fly out to end the threat.

An RBI single by Andre Ethier in the sixth put the Dodgers up 3-1.  The Mets cut into that on an RBI single from Murphy in the seventh.  In actuality, the inning should've been over before that, but a strikeout to Davis was overturned by the third base umpire, who called a foul tip.  His double led to Murphy's single.  Whatever.

Jamey Wright got through the eighth with help from a double play ball to end the inning.  Old closer Javy Guerra was called upon to rekindle some of his old magic in the ninth.  He hadn't recorded a save since May 1 in Colorado.

Well, he wouldn't get a save here either, as the Mets scored one to put it into extras.  Ruben Tejada singled leading off, went to second on a sacrifice, to third on David Wright's single, and scored on a groundout by Davis.

Each team certainly had their chance to score before the Dodgers busted it open in the 12th.  In the 10th, Ethier walked leading off, and was soon sacrificed to second by Clayton Kershaw.  Luis Cruz and A.J. Ellis couldn't score him.  The Mets had runners on in both the 10th and 11th, but came up with blanks.

Then the 12th inning came, and the Dodgers finally put an end to it.  With Ramon Ramirez in, James Loney singled to start, and Tony Gwynn legged out a bunt single.  Mark Ellis and Kemp couldn't come through, so Ethier was put on intentionally to load the bases.

The only hitter left was Treanor, as the pitcher's spot in Josh Wall was due up.  With two strikes, Treanor knocked one through the middle to score two and go up 5-3.  It was on from there, as Cruz hit an RBI single, and Adam Kennedy stroked a two-run double, making it 8-3.

Lindblom did end up being used, tossing 23 pitches in a scoreless 12th to seal the deal.

It was another awesome win for the Dodgers, as they had every reason to accept a loss and still take the series.  Instead, they scratched and clawed their way to a victory, even after the letdown of blowing a lead in the ninth.

What was really cool about this game was the man who ended up getting the win, Wall.  Making his major league debut, he pitched a scoreless frame in the 11th, with some help from A.J. Ellis, who gunned out Wright on a steal attempt.  Wall will probably by sent back to Triple-A when Chad Billingsley is activated off the DL to start Monday, so it was fun while it lasted.  I'm sure we haven't heard the last from him.

Much like Saturday's game, this game was won thanks to some unlikely sources.  Rivera's two-run homer grabbed an early lead.  Gwynn's bunt single proved to be huge in the 12th.  Kennedy came in for Juan Uribe (who was back to normal with an 0-for-4 performance) in the 11th, took an intentional walk, then had a two-run double in the 12th.  Heck, even Kershaw got in on the act with a sacrifice bunt in the 11th.

The bottom line is that it's nice to see guys other than the Big 2 of Kemp and Ethier do some damage.  Those guys still combined for three hits and three runs, but it was the bottom of the order that broke it all open in that glorious 12th.  That was awesome to see.

All three games went much longer than I would have ever imagined, as this one went 4:45.  That was mostly due to some shoddy starting pitching, largely on the Mets' side.  The Dodgers certainly have some bullpen concerns, but nothing like the Mets do.  They can't seem to get anything going from those guys.

To say that Monday's start from Billingsley in St. Louis is huge would be an understatement.  Not so much huge as in he definitely needs to win.  It's more that he needs to get deep into the game to rest the arms in the 'pen.  That, however, has never been an easy thing for him, so we shall see what happens.  The Cardinals will counter with Joe Kelly.