D-backs rally in ninth, hang on to drop Dodgers

LOS ANGELES -- Just keep grinding, the D-backs told themselves.

Trailing by a pair of runs heading into the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium, the D-backs rallied for four runs to beat the Dodgers, 5-4, on Monday night.

"I don't know if we let one get away," Dodgers left fielder Jerry Hairston said. "It's just one of those things where they battled back and they've got guys that can swing the bat and they came back."

The win was the D-backs' fifth straight against the Dodgers and their fourth in a row at Dodger Stadium. Overall, Arizona has won 16 of its past 19 games against Los Angeles.

"They're obviously an extremely talented team and it seems like every game that we play against them, regardless of the outcome, it's a one- or two-run game it seems like," said infielder Willie Bloomquist, who delivered a key hit in the ninth. "We play them tough and they play us tough. We've come out on top fortunately the last 16 out of 19 so we'll take it. They're a team where you know it's going to come down to the last out a lot of times against them."

The Dodgers led 3-1 heading into the ninth with closer Brandon League on the mound.

After Miguel Montero struck out to start the ninth, Martin Prado, who was 0-for-3 against Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, started the rally with a line drive single to left.

"That's why baseball is so amazing," Prado said. "You have so many opportunities to redeem yourself. To be honest with you, I felt like Kershaw brought his game. He was pretty good today, so I was tipping my cap. The ninth inning I was just relaxing, just forgetting about my at-bats against Kershaw and just concentrating, and if I get a pitch, I was just going to hit it. He actually threw me a pretty good pitch and I put a good swing on it."

Gerardo Parra and Jason Kubel also followed with hits. Kubel's single was a grounder that second baseman Mark Ellis dove at and knocked down but could not throw to first in time as Prado came across to score.

Pinch-hitter Didi Gregorius drew a walk to load the bases and it appeared as though League would wiggle off the hook as he got A.J. Pollock to pop out.

Bloomquist, though, followed Pollock with a ground ball up the middle that glanced off the glove of a diving Nick Punto, allowing Parra and pinch-runner Josh Wilson to score for a 4-3 D-backs lead.

"I was just trying to get a pitch that I could stay up the middle on," Bloomquist said. "I saw the shortstop was playing me a little bit to pull so I was just trying to stay up the middle on something. Didn't hit it great, but sometimes the direction is better than hitting the ball hard."

Paul Goldschmidt added an RBI single to give the D-backs an added cushion that would prove crucial.

Heath Bell came on in the ninth to try to lock things down and Juan Uribe greeted him with a home run to center. Tim Federowicz then doubled and went to third when Prado muffed Skip Schumaker's bunt to put runners on the corners with no one out.

Bell, who has converted eight straight saves, seems to have a knack for pitching his way into and out of trouble.

"Not by design," he said. "I don't panic under pressure. I'm just out there fighting every pitch and every out, and unfortunately I get guys on. I hate that, but I'm not trying any different or any harder."

Bell then got Punto to fly out to shallow left, struck out Ellis and got Adrian Gonzalez on a groundout to end the game.

"Unfortunately I had a bad outing and things just didn't work," Bell said. "If I had a bad outing, gave up a run and still get my job done, I'll definitely take that."