Parra Runs Send Dodgers To Defeat

Gerardo Parra played the role of heel on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, soaking up the boos while scoring the tying and winning runs for the Diamondbacks, who beat the Dodgers 5-4 in 10 innings. Parra, who tied the game with a home run in the seventh inning, led off the 10th inning with a single, then scored three Javy Guerra walks later.

Manager Don Mattingly had Guerra intentionally walk Miguel Montero with first base open and two outs in the 10th, then watched Guerra, in his second inning work, throw his 28th through 36th pitches of the night nowhere close to the strike zone. Guerra did eventually record the third out of the inning, after the go-ahead run scored, the first two-inning outing for Guerra since May 4, when he was with Double A Chattanooga.

Jerry Sands, who had three singles on Monday night, didn't make an out on Tuesday, collecting a double, a single, and two walks on the night for the Dodgers.

Chad Billingsley wasn't anything special in his outing tonight, but he passed the rudimentary requirement of allowing fewer runs than innings pitch, a test he failed in his last two starts. He allowed a two-run home run to Montero in the first inning, but settled down after that, pitching into the seventh inning.

The bad: Billingsley walked three and struck out two, the sixth time in the last nine starts he has had at least as many walks as strikeouts (28 walks and 30 strikeouts in 49 innings during that span)

The good: Billingsley did induce five infield popouts, a season high

As for his mound counterpart, Ian Kennedy allowed four runs, just as it was foretold by ancient Sumerian gods. Those four runs came in the first inning, thanks in part to three doubles. However, the Dodgers did not score after that off Kennedy, who completed six innings.

Hong-Chih Kuo relieved Billingsley in the seventh inning and, after striking out Collin Cowgill, Kuo faced Parra with two outs and the bases empty. Parra squared to bunt on the first pitch and Kuo fired a fastball a little too up and in for Parra's liking. After the pitch, Parra stepped out of the batters box and grabbed his crotch while staring at Kuo. Here is the pitch, courtesy of Chad Moriyama:

Four pitches later, Parra hit his eighth home run of the season, and second off Kuo this year, a no-doubter into the right field pavilion.

Parra stood and admired the home run before circling the bases, a move that did not endear him to the Dodger dugout, or catcher A.J. Ellis, who had words for Parra as he crossed home plate with the tying run. But the angriest of all was Wednesday starter Clayton Kershaw, who was yelling toward the Arizona dugout afterward.

The whole thing seems like an overreaction, really. Kuo, with 21 walks and one hit batsman in 23 innings this season, hasn't exactly been the picture of control, and why would he purposely put the tying run on base?

There's no need for retaliation tomorrow night, Clayton. You've got a 19th game to win.

WP - Micah Owings (7-0): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

LP - Javy Guerra (2-1): 2 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 3 walks, 1 strikeout

Sv - J.J. Putz (40): 1 IP, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

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