PHOENIX -- With another series win against a division rival, the San Francisco Giants overtook the Chicago Cubs for the NL lead with their 52 victory.Pinch-hitter Ramiro Pena hit a tiebreaking double in the 11th inning, and the San Francisco escaped with a 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday to take two of three in the series.The Diamondbacks Jake Lamb hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to tie it 4-4 but Enrique Burgos (0-1), Arizonas seventh pitcher, walked leadoff batter Jarrett Parker in the 11th and Pena lined the first pitch he saw into the right-field corner.Josh Osich (1-1) pitched a scoreless 10th to get the win. Santiago Casilla escaped trouble in the 11th for his 19th save in 23 tries.The Giants took a series from an NL West foe for the seventh straight time. The last series they lost to a team in their own division came when they were swept at home by Arizona from April 18-21.Its pretty big, especially for us right now when we dont have a lot of guys in our lineup, the Giants Brandon Belt said. Just for the younger guys to step in there and step up for us big. It says a lot. It says a lot about this team.With the outfield depleted, Belt -- almost always a first baseman these days -- played in left because the outfield is depleted.He made a nice running catch in left field, San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. We were in a box today, with a couple outfielders down, three actually. Thats why Brandon went out in left field and he looked comfortable.The Giants Gregor Blanco strained a knee in Saturday nights loss and is being evaluated. Denard Span was out with a stiff right neck.Rookie Albert Suarez pitched six innings, and Brandon Belt and Mac Williamson each drove in a pair of runs to put San Francisco up 4-2With one out in the eighth, first baseman Buster Posey bobbled Paul Goldschmidts spinning grounder for an error. Goldschmidt stole second and Lamb launched Cory Gearrins 3-2 pitch just over the fence in right field. It was Lambs fourth homer in five games and his 19th of the season. Eleven of those home runs either tied the game or gave Arizona a lead.Goldshmidt also homered, his 15th.There were opportunities in the beginning of the game and at the end there. We just couldnt get it done, Lamb said.Yasmany Tomas led off the Arizona 11th with a single, was sacrificed to second, and a wild pitch put him on third with one out. But pinch-hitter Welington Castillo grounded out, and Peter OBrien, another pinch hitter, struck out. OBrien has struck out 25 times in 57 at bats since coming up from Triple-A Reno.A night earlier, Castillos three-run home run off Hunter Strickland in the eighth inning beat the Giants. This time, Strickland struck out Castillo in the ninth.TRAINERS ROOMGiants: RHP Matt Cain (right hamstring strain) had his first rehab start in an Arizona (rookie) League game Saturday night. He went 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and three hits, one a home run. He struck out six.Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke was placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Wednesday, with a right oblique strain. Its his first DL stint since April 2013. Manager Chip Hale said he hopes Greinke can return after the All-Star break but doesnt know if that is realistic.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: RHP Archie Bradley (3-3, 4.50 ERA) takes Greinkes scheduled start in the series opener against the San Diego Padres Monday night. RH Luis Perdomo (2-3, 8.49) goes for the Padres.Giants: The Giants return home for three against Colorado. RHP Jake Peavy (4-7, 5.33), coming off a rough outing against Oakland, gets the start for San Francisco the Monday afternoon opener against the Rockies Tyler Anderson (0-2, 2.66). NMD Wholesale . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. NMD Clearance . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. https://www.cheapnmdoutlet.com/ . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. NMD Online .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. NMD For Sale . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw was out of the game, his head down in the dugout, the Los Angeles bullpen faltering and the season slipping away.Chase Utley plucked the Dodgers from the brink, singling home the tiebreaking run with two outs in the eighth inning.Suddenly, Game 5 was on the horizon.One more chance to pursue the clubs first World Series appearance in 28 years.There is no quit in this team, closer Kenley Jansen said.The Dodgers avoided elimination Tuesday with a 6-5 victory over the Washington Nationals that forced a deciding game in their NL playoff.Jansen worked the ninth for a save, one day after giving up four late runs during Los Angeles loss in Game 3.I got out there and focused and fought, he said.The finale is Thursday in Washington, with 20-game winner Max Scherzer set to pitch for the Nationals.Man, this is going to be a heck of a ballgame, he said. The effort from both sides over the first four games has been incredible. Great pitching, great hitting, defense, everything.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he will use left-hander Rich Hill and rookie Julio Urias, but did not announce which one will start. Hill is expected to get the ball first.If anyone gives up on this team, they havent seen us play a whole lot this year, Roberts said, and it starts with what Clayton did -- short rest and leaving it all out there. Everyone fed off that.Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers, who turned to Kershaw on three days rest to salvage their season.The score was tied 5-all with two outs in the eighth when Andrew Toles got hit by a pitch from loser Blake Treinen. Ethier followed with a single to left and Utley singled to right, scoring Toles from second for a 6-5 lead.Trailing 5-2 in the seventh, the Nats had runners on first and second against Kershaw with two outs. The crowd chanted Kershaws name as he and Bryce Harper battled through eight pitches before Harper drew a walk.Man, thats what baseball is all about right there -- a matter of will, Nats manager Dusty Baker said. Kershaw was on empty. We knew it. They knew it. Everybody knew it.Harpers walk loaded the bases and chased Kershaw, who walked off with his head down. He sat alone in the dugout with his head resting on his right hand.Kershaw was outstanding, Baker said. Thats one of the best performances Ive seen, especially on three days rest.But the Dodgers bullpen nearly gave the game away.Pedro Baez came in and hit Jayson Werth with his only pitch, forcing in a run to make it 5-3. Baez got booed off the field.Daniel Murphys single off Luis Avilan dropped between Toles and Joc Pederson in left-center field, scoring two runs to tie it at 5. Avilan also heard boos.Joe Blanton, who earned the win, retired Anthony Rendon on a swinging strikeout to end the inning.Our bullpen has been unbelievable, Kershaw said. Joe did what Joes been doing all season. Hes been through a lot in his career but he came in and shut them down.After failing to close out the Dodgers on the road, Washington gets one more chance to win a playoff series for the first time siince the franchise relocated from Montreal.dddddddddddd NL East champions in three of the past five years, the Nationals were unable to advance during their two previous trips to the postseason.Thats why we fought so hard for the home-field advantage, Baker said. This year, its coming to fruition.Desperate to avoid another early playoff exit, the Dodgers went with Kershaw, their three-time Cy Young Award winner who won Game 1 last Friday despite going just five innings and allowing three runs.This time, he was charged with five runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out 11 -- equaling his second-best postseason total -- and walked two.The left-hander was limited to 149 innings while compiling a 1.69 ERA during the regular season. He missed 2 1/2 months with a mildly herniated disk in his back.Kershaw opened the game by giving up a leadoff single and a walk before Murphys RBI single.The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on Gonzalezs two-run shot that scored Justin Turner, who was hit by a pitch from Joe Ross.Werths RBI single tied it 2-all in the third.Los Angeles again answered in the bottom of the inning, with Kershaw getting the rally going with a double to left field. He slid into second and clenched his fists in a rare show of emotion.Kershaw scored on Turners single with two outs. Pederson got hit by a pitch from Ross with the bases loaded, forcing in TurnerRoss made his postseason debut for the Nationals, giving up four runs and three hits in 2 2/3 innings, equaling the shortest playoff start in the history of the Montreal-Washington franchise. The 23-year-old right-hander struck out three and walked two. He hasnt pitched more than four innings since coming off the disabled list on Sept. 18.LOOK OUT!Five players were hit by pitches, including four Dodgers, which set a single-game franchise playoff record. Of the quartet, two ended up scoring. Werth was the lone Nationals player to get hit.There have been 11 hit batters in the series, a postseason record.No one on either side is trying to hit anybody with everything on the line right now, Scherzer said. Thats just baseball being played at its highest.TRAINERS ROOMNationals RHP Stephen Strasburg experienced discomfort in his right elbow during a bullpen session Monday at Dodger Stadium. He threw 30 or 31 pitches instead of the scheduled 35. Strasburg has been out since tearing the pronator tendon in his elbow on Sept. 7.Baker said Strasburg was throwing the ball very good and hes not concerned about the pitchers progress. Strasburg has said he would try to return this season if the Nationals advance to the NLCS.CANT CLOSE `EM OUTBaker has lost eight consecutive postseason games when his team would have advanced with a victory. Thats the longest such streak in major league history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.ELIMINATION GAMESThe Dodgers improved to 12-15 in postseason elimination games since moving to Los Angeles. ' ' '
