Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for four runs in the ninth inning to edge the Tampa Bay Rays, 7-6, in the opener of a three-game set at Chavez Ravine.
Skip Schumaker singled then scored on Mark Ellis' triple past a diving Ben Zobrist in left field. Nick Punto followed with a double to left to score Ellis and Adrian Gonzalez ripped a double into the right-field corner to tie the game.
"I didn't like our chances, but we kept creeping and our bullpen kept us there. It was unbelievable because it happened so fast," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.
After Fernando Rodney (4-3) intentionally walked Yasiel Puig, Jerry Hairston ripped a chopper up the middle. Rodney snared the bouncer, turned and fired to second base, but his throw sailed high and to the right allowing Gonzalez to come around and score the game-winning run.
"We kept plugging away and it gave us a chance at the end. Rodney is a great closer, but we kept our composure and the hits fell in," said Gonzalez.
Puig went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and Schumaker doubled and drove in a run for the Dodgers, who have won eight of their last nine games.
Ronald Bellisario (5-6) stranded a pair of runners in the ninth to earn the win. Starter Chris Capuano was charged with six runs -- five earned -- on 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings.
James Loney went 3-for-4 with two RBI against his former club and Yunel Escobar had two hits and three RBI for the Rays, who have dropped three straight games.
Rays starter David Price allowed just one unearned run on seven hits while striking out four. It was just the third time in his last seven starts that the hard-throwing southpaw failed to go nine innings.
"They had good at-bats, give them credit. We did everything we could to win the game, but they beat us tonight," said Rays manager Joe Maddon.
Tampa Bay scored three runs in both the second and fifth innings.
In the second, Escobar laced a single to center field to score Wil Myers. Loney followed with a two-run single up the middle to score Ben Zobrist and Escobar.
With the bases-loaded in the fifth, Zobrist ripped a single to center to score Sean Rodriguez and Escobar followed with a base hit up the middle to play Evan Longoria and Myers.
The Dodgers finally got on the board in the seventh. Hairston walked then moved to second on Longoria's throwing error. Tim Federowicz grounded into a double play, but it moved Hairston to third for Schumaker, who laced a double to left field.
In the eighth, Puig plated Ellis with a ground-rule double before coming around on Juan Uribe's base hit to right field later in the frame to make it 6-3.
Game Notes
Puig extended his hitting streak to eight games ... The Dodgers were 5-for-10 with RISP ... Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez made his first appearance since injuring his shoulder on Aug. 4. He went 0-for-1 in his only at-bat.Tampa Bay was 5-for-18 with runners in scoring position ... Longoria's error in the seventh innings was the Rays' first error in 10 games ... Earlier on Friday, the Rays recalled pitcher Josh Lueke from Triple-A Durham and designated pitcher Kyle Farnsworth for assignment ... It was the Rays' first game in Dodger Stadium ... Tampa Bay is 29-8 this season then its starting pitcher lasts at least seven innings ... Game time: 3:55.
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