The Arizona Diamondbacks are running out of time to make it back to the postseason.
With one week left in the season, the Diamondbacks trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by 2 1/2 games in the NL West after beating Colorado 13-4 on Sunday. The Dodgers fell to the Giants 1-0 in 11 innings.
Manager Bob Melvin knows his Diamondbacks have little margin for mistakes and is living by the old adage: take it one game at a time.
“That’s all we can do,” said Melvin, whose team improved to 12-3 against Colorado this season. “You can’t win three games in a day and can’t look ahead at all. We have to keep grinding, hopefully we get help. We need it.”
The Diamondbacks’ new best friends are now San Diego and San Francisco, who each play the Dodgers three more times.
“We know we have a significant road ahead of us still,” Melvin said. “We have to keep winning games.”
The Diamondbacks have four games remaining at St. Louis, before closing out the season by hosting Colorado.
, who have a magic number of five to win the NL West championship. Any combination of five Los Angeles wins or losses by the Diamondbacks will give the Dodgers their first division title since 2004.
“We’ll bounce back,” Los Angeles manager Joe Torre said. “We’re used to doing that all year. This was a tough loss. We have a day off tomorrow to rest up for Tuesday.”
In other NL games on Sunday, it was: Philadelphia 5, Florida 2; Atlanta 7, New York 6; Milwaukee 8, Cincinnati 1; Chicago 5, St. Louis 1; Houston 6, Pittsburgh 2; and San Diego 6, Washington 2.
At Los Angeles, James Loney could only shake his head as he contemplated one of the Dodgers’ most frustrating losses of the season.
Loney was hitless in five at-bats, but could easily have had three hits and several RBIs against the San Francisco Giants had it not been for a trio of outstanding catches on balls he hit – by shortstop Ivan Ochoa, right fielder Nate Schierholtz and left fielder Randy Winn.
“Three, huh? Three too many,” Loney muttered with a smile. “Dumb hitting.”
the winning hit.
Phillies 5, Marlins 2
At Miami, Jamie Moyer pitched six sharp innings and the Phillies increased their lead in the NL East, beating Florida and taking 1 1/2-game edge over the New York Mets.
At 45, Moyer (15-7) is the oldest player in the majors. Five relievers finished, with Brad Lidge closing for his 40th save in 40 chances.
The Phillies won for the ninth time in 10 games. They return home for the final week – three games against the Braves and three against Washington.
Florida remained five games behind the Mets in the wild-card race with seven games left.
Chase Utley hit his 32nd home run, his first since Aug. 22, and Pedro Feliz added his 14th. The Phillies set a franchise record by hitting a homer in their 17th straight game.
Chris Volstad (5-4) took the loss.
Braves 7, Mets 6
At Atlanta, Scott Schoeneweis and the Mets bullpen blew another late lead, with Atlanta rallying for four runs in the eighth inning.
The Mets’ lead in the wild-card race was cut to 1 1/2 games by Milwaukee, which beat Cincinnati 8-1.
Down 4-3, Atlanta struck in the eighth against Schoeneweis (2-5) and three relievers. It was the latest collapse for a beleaguered bullpen missing injured closer Billy Wagner.
tters for his 13th save in 15 chances.
Brewers 8, Reds 1
At Cincinnati, Prince Fielder homered and drove in three runs, helping Milwaukee end one of the most bizarre weeks in its history with a victory that provided little solace for a fading team.
The Brewers won for only the fifth time in 20 games, a September self-destruct that has made them a long shot for the playoffs.
Todd Coffey (1-0) escaped a bases-loaded threat in the fourth, then stared toward the announcing booths so intently as he walked off the mound that he went off course. The reliever was booed by fans and harshly criticized by a Reds broadcaster when he pitched in Cincinnati.
Cubs 5, Cardinals 1
At Chicago, Ryan Dempster earned his 17th victory as the Cubs kept on winning a day after clinching the NL Central title, beating St. Louis in their regular-season wrapup at Wrigley Field.
The victory means the Cubs (94-60) need one more win to ensure home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs.
Dempster (17-6) worked five innings, giving up six hits and a run, as the Cubs turned to a starting lineup of mostly reserves.
Astros 6, Pirates 2
At Pittsburgh, Roy Oswalt held the Pirates to one run in six innings and backup catcher Brad Ausmus drove in two runs to lead Houston over Pittsburgh.
n a series for the first time since Hurricane Ike forced them to move an important set against the Cubs to Milwaukee.
Houston lost six of seven after that to all but fall out of the NL wild-card race.
Padres 6, Nationals 2
At Washington, Adrian Gonzalez’s 35th homer and Kevin Kouzmanoff’s three RBIs backed Cha Seung Baek’s strong start, and San Diego swept a three-game series between the NL’s worst teams.
It’s the first road sweep by San Diego since July 24-26, 2006, at Dodger Stadium.
Baek (6-9) allowed one run over seven innings. Odalis Perez (7-11) tied a career high with 11 strikeouts, including five in a row.
Both clubs entered this series 58-95, but San Diego outscored Washington by a combined total of 23-9.
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