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Dodgers open pivotal series against Giants with win in 14th inning

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez connects for the game-winning hit to deep left field against the Giants in the 14th inning Monday night at Dodger Stadium.

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez connects for the game-winning hit to deep left field against the Giants in the 14th inning Monday night at Dodger Stadium.

(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
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If the Dodgers’ series opener against the San Francisco Giants had lasted a couple more innings, outfielder Scott Van Slyke would have pitched.

Pitcher Mat Latos would have replaced Van Slyke in right field.

“I’m serious,” Manager Don Mattingly said.

Told of the manager’s late-inning plans for the team’s most important game of the season, catcher A.J. Ellis smiled and said, “That would have been interesting to see.”

It didn’t come to that.

Adrian Gonzalez ended the madness in the 14th inning with no outs, the bases loaded and only a handful of spectators remaining at Dodger Stadium. He drove a ball over the head of Giants left fielder Nori Aoki to score Ellis from third base and secure a 5-4 victory.

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The 5-hour 29-minute marathon win extended the Dodgers’ lead over the second-place Giants in the National League West to 4 ½ games.

Zack Greinke will start for the Dodgers on Tuesday. Clayton Kershaw will pitch the series finale on Wednesday.

“It’s a good feeling,” Gonzalez said. “Knowing we have Greinke and Kershaw the next two days is an even better feeling.”

The Dodgers used every one of their position players. The only available pitcher they didn’t use was J.P. Howell. The situation prompted Mattingly to call on Kershaw to pinch hit in the 11th inning.

“This is probably our biggest win of the season,” said reliever Chris Hatcher, who earned the victory, which was probably as important for him as it was for the Dodgers.

Hatcher, who entered the game with a 5.32 earned-run average, pitched the final three innings for the Dodgers. He delivered a career-high 45 pitches.

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Asked if he had ever thrown that many pitches in a game, the converted catcher joked, “Probably Arizona, the day I got whacked around.”

The Dodgers also received a significant contribution from Jim Johnson, who pitched the 10th and 11th innings.

WIth the Dodgers using six relievers on this night, Mattingly said some additional relievers could be recalled from the minors by the time the team reconvened in a few hours. Starting Tuesday, teams can expand their rosters to as many as 40 players.

The Giants used eight relievers, including Yusmeiro Petit, who gave up Gonzalez’s game-winning single on his first pitch.

The Dodgers said they expected the Giants to brush off the defeat, especially with Madison Bumgarner starting for them Tuesday.

“The one thing we know about the Giants is they’re resilient and they’re not going anywhere,” Ellis said. “This won’t even shake them.”

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The Giants’ resiliency was something the Dodgers talked about in the days leading up to the series.

“They’re competitors, man,” closer Kenley Jansen said.

So what if the Giants’ disabled list included several key players, including Hunter Pence, Matt Cain, Angel Pagan, Joe Panik, Tim Hudson, Jeremy Affeldt and Tim Lincecum?

“If I’m not mistaken, their offense is one of the best in the league, right?” said Kershaw.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner added, “I’m not feeling too sorry for them.”

The Giants showed why Monday.

The Dodgers went ahead, 1-0, in the first inning on a run-scoring double by Justin Turner, but the Giants responded by scoring three runs in the third.

Gregor Blanco led off that inning with an infield single, after which pitcher Jake Peavy grounded into a force out.

Anderson walked Nori Aoki, then gave up a single to Matt Duffy to load the bases.

The Giants tied the score, 1-1, when Brandon Belt singled to center field.

Anderson forced Buster Posey to pop up to first base to record the second out, only for Marlon Byrd to follow with a ground ball to the right side of the infield. Second baseman Chase Utley tracked down Byrd’s grounder in shallow right field, but by that time Aoki scored from third and an alert Duffy raced home from second.

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Suddenly, the Giants were ahead, 3-1.

Anderson was visibly frustrated when the inning ended, covering his mouth with his glove and screaming.

Anderson lasted only five innings, forcing the bullpen to cover the next nine innings.

Gonzalez tied the score, 3-3, with a two-run home run in the sixth inning off Peavy. The Dodgers went back in front later in the inning, when Andre Ethier belted a solo home run off Peavy.

The 4-3 advantage lasted until the eighth inning, when Byrd doubled off Juan Nicasio with two outs to drive in Duffy from second base. The score was tied, 4-4.

As the game advanced into extra innings and Monday turned into Tuesday, the crowd at Dodger Stadium decreased in size.

Ellis, however, liked it.

“I think the atmosphere gets better in those situations,” Ellis said. “You see the people kind of trickle down. It’s almost like there are more fans getting closer to field level. You can actually hear more individual voices. You can hear people cheering you on. It reminds me of a minor league atmosphere, as far as the crowd goes. That dull buzz goes away and you hear more individual things and you can hear that individual support.”

Following a 14th-inning stretch that included a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” Ellis led off the bottom of the inning by drawing a walk against Mike Broadway.

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At that moment, Ellis joked, he was frightened by the idea of an extra-base hit by a batter behind him.

“I’m terrified because I’m slow,” Ellis said in jest.

The next two batters, Jimmy Rollins and Utley, singled to load the bases.

With Gonzalez about to step into the batter’s box, Giants Manager Bruce Bochy replaced Broadway with Petit.

“Fairly simple mentality for me: Try to hit something in the air,” Gonzalez said. “Petit’s a high-ball pitcher. He usually throws high changeups, high fastballs, and occasionally throw a curveball down. I was looking for something up in the zone and make sure I stay on top of it so I don’t pop it up straight in the air.”

He didn’t and the Dodgers won.

“Those are great moments,” Ellis said. “We’re happy we could deliver for those fans who stuck around.”

Up Next

Right-hander Zack Greinke (14-3, 1.61 ERA) will face left-hander Madison Bumgarner (16-6, 2.97) and the Giants on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Dodger Stadium. TV: SportsNet LA; Radio: 570, 1020.

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Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez delivers game-winner over Giants in 14th

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