Dodgers 7 - 5 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

D'Backs close regular season against Dodgers

Sep 28, 2011 - 3:07 PM (Sports Network) - The Arizona Diamondbacks will close out the regular season tonight against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the finale of a three-game series at Chase Field.

The NL West-champion Diamondbacks are coming off an improbable win last night, as they scored six runs in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 7-6 victory. Ryan Roberts capped the tremendous comeback with a grand slam off of Dodgers reliever Javy Guerra and kept Arizona one game behind Milwaukee for the second-best mark in the National League and homefield advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.

"That was unbelievable, I've never been a part of something like that, everything on this team blows my mind," Roberts said. "All year long we've gotten comeback wins and crazy things. That just goes down in the books as another one for me."

Milwaukee plays Pittsburgh on Wednesday and will host the NLDS with a victory at Miller Park. Arizona holds the tiebreaker should both teams finish tied.

Lyle Overbay had two hits and an RBI and Micah Owings collected the win despite allowing five runs -- four earned -- in an inning of work. Rookie Jarrod Parker threw 5 2/3 shutout innings in the no-decision.

Arizona has won seven of nine games and will send Joe Saunders to the mound this evening. Saunders is 12-12 with a 3.58 earned run average in 32 starts and is 3-0 in his previous four outings. Saunders did not figure into the decision of a 3-1 win versus San Francisco on Friday and tossed seven innings of one-run ball. The lefty defeated the Dodgers on Sept. 12 in LA and is 3-5 with a 3.55 ERA in 10 career starts against them.

The Dodgers will put a tumultuous season behind them tonight and were in position for a win after scoring five runs in the top of the 10th inning. Dee Gordon and Jamey Carroll each had three hits and Matt Kemp finished with a pair of hits for Los Angeles, which had won eight of 10 games.

Kemp, a Triple Crown hopeful, is closing in on becoming the first Dodger since Dolph Camilli in 1941 to lead the National League in both homers (38) and RBI (124). He increased his hitting streak to 11 games in the process.

Guerra was dealt the loss for serving up Roberts' slam and Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda threw six shutout innings with five strikeouts.

"We should have won it," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.

Mattingly will close out his first season as LA's skipper and will send Ted Lilly to the hill Wednesday. Lilly is 11-14 with a 4.12 ERA in 32 starts and has won two straight and four of his past five decisions, including a 2-0 win at San Diego on Friday. He held the Padres to four hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out seven batters for a second straight outing.

The veteran southpaw lost to Arizona on Sept. 12 and is 4-7 with a 4.57 ERA in 13 career meetings (11 starts) with the Diamondbacks.

Arizona is 10-7 against the Dodgers this season.






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