Without question, Sunday afternoon’s 8-3 win in 12 innings was one of the most exciting games of the season (well, for me, at least). Granted, it didn’t have the electricity of a Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier walk-off home run in front of the home crowd, but instead showed the Dodgers working together as a team, 1 through 9, to collect the win – a very much needed win, as the Giants had already lost.

Matt Treanor drives a bases loaded single up the middle to knock in the game-winning run in what ended up to be a 5-run 12th inning in which 10 Dodger batters came to the plate and an eventual 8-3 win.

Although it will be Matt Treanor’s exciting game-winning two run single up the middle on a 1-2 pitch (after fouling off three consecutive pitches) and Adam Kennedy’s laser shot double over the head of Met’s right fielder Lucas Duda that will be remembered most (and rightfully so), there were several other extremely important contributions made both offensively and defensively that led to this win. Those that stand out (in my mind, at least) include:

• Juan Rivera’s 2-run home run in the top of the 4th inning,
• James Loney being able to recover from a bobbled slow chopper in the bottom of the 9th in his attempt to go home to try to get the tying run out at the plate (which most likely would not have happened anyway) and was still able to record the out at first to Mark Ellis who was covering first base (a brilliant move on Ellis’ part). This proved to be the most important defensive play of the game, yet it went unnoticed by most.
• Pinch hitter Clayton Kershaw’s picture perfect sacrifice bunt in the top of the 11th inning – unfortunately it was followed by a Luis Cruz strikeout and an A.J. Ellis pop-up to end the inning.
• After a clearly blown call by first base by umpire Mike DiMuro on what should have been an inning-ending double play in the 9th inning on a bunt by Mike Nickeas which was fielded by Javy Guerra and thrown to shortstop Luis Cruz covering third base who then fired across the diamond to James Loney, the Dodgers immediately followed with a 5-4-3 double play. This double play prevented the game-winning run from scoring for the Mets.
• Tony Gwynn Jr. legging out what was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt for a single in the top of the 12th inning moving James Loney (who led off the inning with a single) to second base, thus giving the Dodgers one more out to work with.
• Although the second out of the 12th inning, Matt Kemp’s grounder to Met’s first baseman Ike Davis moved Gwynn and Loney to second and third, thus setting up the intentional walk to Ethier and the eventual game-winning hit by Treanor.

As I said, this was a great team victory and an absolutely gutsy performance by the Dodger bullpen, especially by Josh Wall in his Major League debut. It is games like these three that keep me saying “Maybe the Dodgers do have what it takes to win the NL West after all,” even though common sense and logic say otherwise.

On a designed play, Dodgers shortstop Luis Cruz immediately broke for third base to cover on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Mets catcher Mike Nickeas forcing Kirk Nieuwenhuis out at third. Cruz then fired across the diamond and clearly had Nickeas out at first base, but first base umpire Mike DiMuro blew the call. The Dodgers didn’t let the blown call affect them, as they recorded a 5-4-3 Double play on the next batter.

Regardless, it was a great time to be in New York and to witness three outstanding games, not to mention a three-game sweep of the Mets.

Josh Wall making his first pitch in his MLB debut (it was a strike) and ended up earning the win. Unfortunately, Josh will undoubtedly be sent back down to Triple-A Albuquerque on Monday to make room on the Dodgers roster for Chad Billingsley who will return from the DL; but fear not, Josh will probably be called back up on September 1st.

GO DODGERS!