By 7:30 p.m., five hours and 47 minutes after this absurdity of a game started, the sun had already set behind Petco Park. The Dodgers had emptied the bench and the bullpen across 17 innings. Now, with the final out recorded, the group convened in the center of the diamond to celebrate a 9-5 victory over San Diego.
Just moments before, the sprinklers in right field turned on. No one, not even the grounds’ crew, expected the game to last this long.
The team used nine pitchers, including Ross Stripling, the scheduled starter for Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, for the final three innings.