Andre Ethier delivers again for the Dodgers

If this wasn’t already clear, Manager Joe Torre learned something Thursday: Jeff Weaver can’t pitch every day.

If there was anything to indicate the level of the Dodgers’ desperation these days, it was the seventh appearance in nine games by Torre’s most trusted middle reliever.

Only a throwing two-out throwing error in the ninth inning by Arizona shortstop Stephen Drew and Andre Ethier’s walk-off single in the 10th allowed the Dodgers to overcome Torre’s decision, as they rallied to defeat the Diamondbacks, 6-5, at Dodger Stadium.

Because Weaver had pitched in six of the previous eight games, Torre said he would try to avoid using him out of the bullpen. But with the score tied at 3-3 in the eighth inning, Torre called on Weaver and left embattled setup man George Sherrill on the bench.

Team surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache’s potential future patient promptly served up a go-ahead solo home run to Justin Upton, deep into the left-field pavilion.

The Diamondbacks added a run against Sherrill in the ninth and it looked like more trouble.

However, the Dodgers came back with a ninth-inning rally for the second night in a row to send the game into extra innings.

Rafael Furcal led off with a walk and scored on Manny Ramirez’s two-out single. James Loney singled to put runners on first and second, and Casey Blake’s grounder to short looked like the last out of the game.

But Drew apparently couldn’t get a handle on the ball and his throw went into the seats, Ramirez scoring the tying run.

In the 10th, the Diamondbacks elected to pitch to Ethier with runners on second and third and Ramirez on deck. His fly ball to center scored Blake DeWitt, who had singled, to end it.

Hiroki Kuroda, who went seven innings, was victimized not by the lack of control that has crippled his rotation mates, but, rather, the defense behind him.

The Dodgers fell behind in the second inning when Matt Kemp lost a fly ball in the lights and Furcal sailed a throw into the visiting dugout, resulting in a 2-0 deficit.

Kuroda only had himself to blame for the Diamondbacks’ lead growing to 3-0, as it was a result of a leadoff double he gave up to pitcher Dan Haren.

Ramirez walked and later scored in the sixth inning, which led to Kemp tying the score at 3-3 with a two-run home run.

The home run was the fourth of the season for Kemp, who went deep for the third consecutive game.

Then, Torre called on Weaver.

For Kuroda, who was charged with 10 hits, the game marked his first appearance against the Diamondbacks since he was struck in the head by a line drive in Arizona on Aug. 15.

The meeting was particularly awkward for the player who hit the line drive, infielder Rusty Ryal.

Ryal, who wasn’t in the Diamondbacks lineup, said he had no plans to approach Kuroda.

“The way I feel about it is we should leave it in the past,” Ryal said. “I don’t think he wants to think about it. I don’t want to think about it. I don’t think anyone who saw it wants to think about it.”

Kuroda, who often cracks jokes about the incident, was more comfortable with the matter.

“That happened last year,” he said. “It’s something that happened on the field. It’s not personal. It’s not like he could have hit me if he wanted to.”