Wednesday's 4-hour, 25-minute marathon matinee ended with rookie Jake Diekman giving up a two-run homer to Matt Kemp in the 12th, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-3 victory and snapping the Phillies' modest four-game winning streak.
"Our pitching is the reason why we've been doing so well lately," said right fielder Hunter Pence, who gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead in the 10th against Javy Guerra with his second bases-loaded, two-run single in two days.
"We won the first two games despite scoring only three runs in each game, and we almost won this game with three runs. That's a credit to our pitchers," Pence added. "You've even got to tip your cap to Papelbon. He's thrown a lot of pitches going three days in a row, so he's a warrior. But they found a way to battle, and you've got to give them some credit."
The Dodgers came back with two runs in the bottom half, saddling Papelbon with his third blown save in 24 opportunities.
Pinch-hitter and former Phillie Bobby Abreu had an RBI single and scored the tying run when Kemp beat out an infield single to deep shortstop with two outs and runners at the corners. The rally also included a dribbler to the left of the mound by Tony Gwynn Jr. that Papelbon couldn't make a play on.
"It's tough. It's one of those outings where you really can't do very much about it," Papelbon said. "I feel like I made the pitches I wanted to make. But there were swinging bunts and bloop hits and stuff like that. It's just part of the game. But we've got to stay positive and, look at the bigger picture, and realize that we came out of the All-Star break taking two series on the road. This was the kind of start that we needed."
Diekman (2-0) walked Mark Ellis with one out before drove a 1-0 pitch the other way into the pavilion seats in right-center for his 13th home run and sixth career walkoff homer.
"I was struggling all day, I had to do something, man," Kemp said. "I think we were all getting a little frustrated and a little tired, but we fought until the end. We got the 'W' and that's all that matters. It feels good to hit that home run. That's the hardest ball I've hit since I've been back (from the disabled list). I feel really good. My legs are getting under me."
Jamey Wright (4-2), the sixth Dodgers pitcher, worked one inning for the victory as Los Angeles ended a four-game losing streak.
Lee allowed two hits - a second-inning home run by Juan Rivera and a leadoff single in the sixth by A.J. Ellis. The 2008 AL Cy Young winner threw 56 of his 89 pitches over the first five innings while retiring 15 of his first 16 batters. His biggest out came in the sixth, when he struck out Kemp with two men on.
The no-decision was the ninth for Lee - and the seventh in a game that went extra innings. The three-time All-Star allowed a run and two hits, the eighth time in 16 starts that he yielded fewer than three earned runs.
Lee's only victory was on July 4, when he beat the Mets 9-2 at New York. In his other start this season against the Dodgers, he retired 21 of his first 24 batters and took a shutout into the eighth before giving up a two-run double to Elian Herrera in a 2-1 loss at Philadelphia.
"Not once this year have I said anything about being frustrated," Lee said. "I can only control what I can control, and that's to make pitches, get as deep into the game as I can and try to give the team a chance to win. I would have loved to win this game, but it's over now and there's nothing you can do about it. I thought I pitched a good game. I made a mistake to Rivera in the second and he hit a home run, but otherwise, things went really well."
The Phillies used four relievers in the ninth, including Michael Schwimer, who escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out pinch-hitter James Loney.
Kershaw allowed a run and five hits, struck out seven and walked none. It was the 13th time in 20 starts this season that he allowed fewer than three earned runs, and he is 6-3 in those games.
"For the most part, I was able to throw strikes and just kind of make them beat me," Kershaw said. "We needed a win, so we'll take them any way we can get them right now. We battled all the way through and Matty came up huge again. But the big inning was getting to Papelbon and getting back in the game. That's the sign of a good team."
NOTES: Kershaw remained 0-4 in eight career starts against Philadelphia with a 2.88 ERA. He faced them on June 4 at Philadelphia, giving up three runs over seven innings during the Dodgers' four-game sweep. ... Rivera is 7-for-30 against Lee with four homers. ... Pence was 0-for-3 against Kershaw and has one hit in 18 career at-bats against him. ... C Carlos Ruiz batted cleanup in place of 1B Ryan Howard, who is 2 for 11 against Kershaw and didn't start. The 2006 NL MVP pinch-hit in the ninth and singled.
