Long Day’s Journey Into Blight

It would be silly for the Dodgers to worry only eight games into a season they believe will be one of their best in years.

Then again, the bullpen is drained, everyday players already need a break, and even Dodger Stadium didn’t provide comfort Monday afternoon, when the Dodgers lost their home opener to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-4, in 12 innings.

“Not to make any excuses, but it probably has been the most strenuous 10 days of my career,” right fielder Shawn Green said. “It’s been tough, as far as just traveling, day games and night games, extra innings and no days off. It definitely takes a toll.”

The Dodgers again worked overtime a day after outlasting the San Diego Padres in 13 innings. They dropped a game they led, 3-0, beginning the seventh with Kevin Brown on the mound and a sellout crowd of 53,819 -- the largest crowd at a home opener in stadium history -- enjoying at spectacular day at Chavez Ravine.

The small group remaining at the end turned on the Dodgers after rookie pinch-hitter Lyle Overbay hit a two-out, two-run, go-ahead home run against Andy Ashby (0-1). The booing intensified when Scott Service retired Nos. 1-3 batters Dave Roberts, Paul Lo Duca and Green to earn the save and complete the victory for Arizona closer Matt Mantei (2-0).

“I made a mistake with the sinker,” Ashby said. “It was supposed to be down and away, and I threw it down the middle and cost us a ballgame.”

Beginning only the second week of the season, the Dodgers trail the streaking San Francisco Giants by 4 1/2 games in the National League West, a deficit they didn’t face until July 28 last season. Opening trips to Arizona and San Diego, combined with consecutive extra-inning games and a schedule many veterans described as the toughest they’ve experienced, have been too much to overcome.

The club isn’t off until next Monday, but many players need time off immediately.

“The pitchers definitely aren’t the only ones who are gassed right now,” said left fielder Brian Jordan, whose 10th-inning, run-scoring single tied the score, 4-4. “There have been some tough games and a lot of the starters have been going every inning. It’s been a tough week for us since coming from spring training.

“From Las Vegas to Anaheim [for exhibitions], then to Arizona, San Diego and playing night games and day games. It’s tough on the body, and I think it’s showing a little bit because guys are not staying back at the plate and not having good at-bats. We’ve got some good guys on the bench, so some of those guys are probably going to play. Now.”

It appeared the Dodgers could take it easy Monday with Brown dominating the Diamondbacks for the second time in as many starts.

They staked the right-hander to a three-run lead on Lo Duca’s run-scoring single and home runs by Adrian Beltre and Fred McGriff against Diamondback starter Elmer Dessens, who worked six innings.

Brown struggled in the sixth, but Manager Jim Tracy let him start the seventh, and Chad Moeller homered with one out to end his work. Craig Counsell, who singled and scored in front of Overbay in the 12th, had a run-scoring triple against Guillermo Mota to cut the lead to 3-2.

“Obviously, we played 13 innings [Sunday] and we played 12 more today,” Tracy said. “We were going to go hitter by hitter, and try to get an out from [Brown]. We were going to take from him what we could get, knowing that we had a limited amount left down there [in the bullpen] with all the pitching that has taken place in the last couple of days.”

The Dodgers eventually used five relievers for the second game. Left-hander Tom Martin, who followed Mota in the eighth, gave up a tying solo homer to left-handed batter Luis Gonzalez. The Diamondbacks went ahead in the 10th on Steve Finley’s run-scoring single, and Jordan’s hit extended the game again.

Ashby, making his second relief appearance in 10 years after being bumped to the bullpen, worked a scoreless 11th, but Counsell got the Diamondbacks started in the 12th. Overbay, hitting for Mantei, connected on a 1-0 count for his first career homer.

“We’ve got to get refreshed and we know it,” said Jordan, whose left hand hurts after being hit with a pitch Sunday. “You can’t keep going out there and battling and fighting through it. That’s just not going to work.”