Colorado Rockies beat Dodgers, Mat Latos on Nolan Arenado homer in 16th

Seriously, don’t you feel just a little sorry for Mat Latos? Not even a teensy bit?

His experience as a Dodger has not been one for the highlight reels, with him struggling as a starter, banished to the bullpen but never used, only to finally be called upon in the 16th inning of a long and wet Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.

And then he gave up a monster home run to Noland Arenado that went deep into the center-field seats to leave the Rockies with a 5-4 victory that seemed to include every player to ever put on a uniform for either team.

It was a wasted opportunity for the Dodgers, who knew hours earlier that both the Giants and Mets had lost.

The game saw 58 players used and 24 pitchers -- franchise records for both clubs. It took five hours and 23 minutes to play.

The two teams battled back and forth all night, alternating great plays and missteps. Finally it was left to Latos, who took his 6.56 ERA into the 16th inning, struck out Carlos Gonzalez and then saw Arenado crush the first pitch he saw for his 39th home run.

What little crowd was left finally headed home.

Both teams had scored a run in the 11th to prolong the night. The Rockies thought they’d won it when Chris Heisey got all twisted up, going backward awkwardly on a Justin Morneau drive to center. He ultimately slipped on the misty night, the ball ricocheting off the wall for a triple. A DJ LeMahieu single off Juan Nicasio singled in the go-ahead run.

The Rockies went to closer John Axford in the bottom of the inning, but Scott Schebler worked a one-out walk and Corey Seager singled up the middle, Schebler hustling to third. That gave Heisey a chance at redemption. He hit a little tapper -- a kind of swinging bunt -- to Arenado at third. He charged but dropped the ball on the slippery grass as Schebler scored.

It was 4-4 and headed late into the night.

The Dodgers opened the game with a run way back in the first inning, which is getting to be a regular thing for them. It was the fifth time in their last seven games they scored at least one run in the first inning.

Justin Ruggiano got it started with a lead-off double against left-hander Chris Rusin. He went to third on Chase Utley’s grounder to first and scored on a Justin Turner single.

It was still a 1-0 game heading into the fourth when things briefly came undone for left-hander Brett Anderson. Arenado and Morneau opened with singles to left, Arenado stopping at second.

LeMahieu then hit a bouncer in the hole between third and short. Seager hustled over from short to make the stop near the grass and then made what some might consider a rookie mistake. He tried to throw on the run and off-balanced to third to get Arenado.

A great throw probably would not have got him, as Turner -- having first moved to the hole for the grounder -- was scrambling to back to the bag. The throw sailed wide of third and to the backstop. Catcher A.J. Ellis ran to the backstop, and with no one covering home, Arenado scored without a throw, as Morneau took third on the error and LeMahieu second.

Corey Dickerson bounced out to second to score Morneau scored and Dustin Garneu hit a bouncer up the third base line that Turner had to charge. With LeMahieu going on contact and sprinting down the line, Turner elected to throw to first to get Garneu. Colorado was up 3-1.

Anderson ended up going seven innings, allowing the three runs (two earned) on seven hits. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter.

After the first, the Dodgers struggled to get anything going against Rusin, who started the game with a 5.14 ERA. They finally chased him with a pair of runs to tie it at 3-3 in the seventh.

Adrian Gonzalez led off with a double that bounced off the center-field wall. When Rusin walked Ellis his night was over. Boone Logan took over but walked Seager to load the bases, still with no outs.

Heisey flied out to right to sacrifice Gonzalez home and pinch-hitter Austin Barnes blooped a hit to left that fell between three fielders to score pinch-runner Jimmy Rollins. It was not the prettiest RBI, but it was the first of Barnes’ career and it tied the game.

Follow Steve Dilbeck on Twitter @SteveDilbeck