Dodgers rally late to topple A's

LOS ANGELES -- The Athletics rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh inning, but then the Dodgers rallied for five in the bottom of the inning, securing a 10-7 win over the A's for a series split on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

For the fifth time this season the Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak, and remain a half-game ahead of San Francisco in first place in the National League West.

Oakland's rally in the seventh consisted of four singles, a walk, a double steal that saw Alex Guerrero react like someone who hadn't started at third base since May 24, and one error. That was enough to plate four runs including three charged to J.P. Howell, who last allowed a run on May 29.

The Dodgers rally started with one on and two outs, Howie Kendrick walked to bring up Adrian Gonzalez as the potential tying run. Gonzalez almost realized those expectations with a drive to deep center field, but settled for a double off the wall to bring the Dodgers within 6-4.

Yasmani Grandal then rocketed two balls foul, one down each line, before dribbling a ball up the third baseline that happened to stop in fair territory on the dirt roughly 50 feet from home plate. The infield single made it 6-5.

Kiké Hernandez then followed with a pinch-hit double to score Gonzalez and Grandal, giving the Dodgers the lead again.

"We had a lot of big at-bats really," manager Don Mattingly said. "We just kind of kept going, and got us back in it."

Yasiel Puig, who homered in the fourth inning on his bobblehead night, a two-run shot on a night his mom threw out a first pitch at Dodger Stadium, hit a line drive single to left field to score Hernandez, giving the Dodgers a two-run advantage.

"I'm going to talk to the Dodgers to get more bobblehead nights and have my mom throw out the first pitch more often," Puig joked after the game.

Any secret to Puig's success?

"I stopped playing soccer video games," Puig said. "I've found that when I play baseball video games, I do better."

Howie Kendrick added a two-run single in the eighth inning to widen the Dodgers' lead. Jimmy Rollins doubled in the inning after tripling earlier. Rollins in his last seven games is 8-for-23 (.348) with six extra-base hits.

Pedro Baez recorded the final two outs of the top of the seventh inning to earn the win.

Drew Pomeranz allowed hits to all three batters he faced - Gonzalez, Grandal and Hernandez - to suffer the loss in relief.

Joel Peralta pitched a perfect eighth inning for his first clean frame since June 30, then Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth to close out the win. It wasn't a save situation, but it was Jansen's first appearance since Friday and his second appearance in the last seven days.

Jansen allowed a home run, crushed to center by Brett Lawrie, who was 4-for-5 and also had two doubles for Oakland.

The Dodgers are off Thursday.

Up next

The non-waiver trade deadline is Friday at 1 p.m. PT. Then the Angels are in town for three games.

Wednesday particulars

Home runs: Yasiel Puig (7); Brett Lawrie (9)

WP - Pedro Baez (3-2): ⅔ IP, 1 hit

LP - Drew Pomeranz (4-4): 0 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs