Ian Kennedy had been so money, as Vince Vaughn said in "Swingers," of late. The Diamondbacks ace entered his start Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium having won 11 of his last 12 starts, boasting a 19-4 overall record with the words "serious NL Cy Young Award candidate" right there next to his name and those gaudy numbers.
Kennedy might still be voted winner of that coveted pitcher's award. Not because he got the win after allowing four runs and leaving with the game tied after six innings, but because he gutted one out clearly without his best stuff. His effort helped set the stage for yet another comeback win for Arizona, 5-4 in 10 innings.
Meanwhile, the D-backs battled back after leading 2-0 going to the bottom of the first, then watching Kennedy give up four runs, three after there were two out. Miguel Montero, whose two-run home run put the Diamondbacks on the board first off Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley, drove in Aaron Hill with a sacrifice fly in the third.
Things got even more interesting in the seventh. With two out, Gerardo Parra got buzzed by a pitch high and tight near his face by LA. reliever Hong Chih-Kuo and took a moment or two to step out of the batter's box and glare back at Kuo on the mound. Parra got the ultimate revenge, powering up for a solo blast and taking his time before leaving the batter's box and trotting around the bases.
Parra and Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis exchanged words at home plate, then both benches got into the act. But it ended there.
The game would go into extra innings, and Dodgers closer Javy Guerra lost the strike zone completely. Left in the game for a second inning of work -- something Guerra clearly wasn't up to though manager Don Mattingly left him out there -- Guerra walked three straight Arizona hitters (one intentionally). The last one was Chris Young with the bases loaded, and Parra came in with the go-ahead run.
The Diamondbacks bullpen was magnificent yet again, four relievers tossing four shutout innings after Kennedy left. J.J. Putz struck out Justin Sellers and Matt Kemp in the bottom of the 10th before walking Rod Barajas, then forcing James Loney to ground out for his 40th save of the season. Micah Owings earned the win and improved to 7-0.