ednesday when he saved a set point at 6-5 down, but he needed

PHOENIX -- Chris Taylor has been a spot starter at best in his young major league career, and hed never had anything like the night he had on Friday.Taylor, acquired in a trade with Seattle a month ago, fell a single shy of the cycle, and Bud Norris finally beat Arizona in the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-7 victory over the Diamondbacks.Taylor, a utility infielder recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on June 25, tripled in the fourth, doubled in the fifth and hit a grand slam in the sixth, his first career home run. He was out on a bunt in the eighth.It was a really a fun night, he said, a night Ill always remember.Norris (5-7) was 0-7 with a 13.92 ERA in his career against the Diamondbacks entering the game, but ended the drought with the help of the Dodgers season-high 18 hits. Norris went five innings, allowing five runs and eight hits.Its a tough place to pitch, he said. I personally have struggled here a few times, so I just wanted to go as deep as I could, kind of just leave all my pitches out there.Arizonas Patrick Corbin (4-8) lasted four innings, giving up seven runs and seven hits.The biggest thing for me is not getting ahead like I have in the past, he said. It is leading to walks and hitters counts. It is something I need to get better on.The Diamondbacks took a 3-2 lead with three runs in the third, two on Michael Bourns triple, only to give it up in the Dodgers five-run fourth, with two scoring on Taylors triple. Yasiel Puig singled in two more before being thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.Los Angeles loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth. Silvino Bracho struck out the next two but Taylor hit one into the seats beyond left field and the Dodgers led 12-4.In the eighth, needing only a single, Taylor chose to lay down a bunt and was thrown out by the pitcher.I thought it was a good time, the situation, he said. They had the third baseman back and its always been a part of my game, regardless of the hits (I had). I think you put me in that situation again Im still going to try it. Its something I take pride in.The Dodgers led 12-7 at the time, not usually a situation that calls for a bunt, but manager Dave Roberts backed up Taylors decision.When youre trying to win a game here in this ballpark youve got to play by different rules, Roberts said. Its almost like you cant score enough. So I thought it was a very heady play. If it was executed a little bit better he would have hit for the cycle.Eight Dodgers have hit for the cycle, only two since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1958: Wes Parker in 1970 and Orlando Hudson in 2009.Third baseman Jake Lambs two errors in the third led to an unearned Los Angeles run.The Diamondbacks fell to 15-33 at home.KERSHAW CLOSERDodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is inching closer to a return.Kershaw, sidelined since June 27 with a mild disk herniation, will throw a simulated game in Los Angeles on Saturday. Roberts said Kershaw will throw 60 pitches.Before he was hurt, Kershaw, as usual, was one of the games best pitchers, going 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA.TRAINERS ROOMDodgers: Roberts said a bone scan Friday of OF Andre Ethiers right tibia showed the fracture has not completely healed but its healed enough that Andre, to his tolerance, can continue to progress with baseball activity. Roberts said the Dodgers will ramp him up and see where it takes us. LHP Alex Wood (posterior elbow) will pitch in the same simulated game as Kershaw.Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (strained oblique) played catch Thursday night, the first time hes done so since the injury.UP NEXTDodgers: RHP Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 2.70 ERA) makes his third start since coming back from Tommy John surgery, facing his former team for the first time.Diamondbacks: RHP Archie Bradley (3-5, 4.64), coming off a strong but losing effort against San Francisco, makes the start for Arizona in the second game of the three-game series. Since being recalled from Triple-A Reno on May 29, Bradley ranks fourth in the NL in strikeouts. Bears Jerseys China . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. Custom Bears Jersey China . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void. http://www.custombearsjersey.com/custom-david-montgomery-jersey-large-76t.html . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Cheap Custom Bears Jersey . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. Wholesale Custom Bears Shirts . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. LONDON -- Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori tend to linger when they get together. Their latest matchup set a record.Murray survived the longest three-set match in ATP Finals history when he prevailed against Nishikori 6-7 (9), 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday.They needed 3 hours, 20 minutes, to separate themselves. The first set alone took 85 minutes.Murray, 2-0 in his group, can clinch a semifinal berth for the first time in four years with a win over U.S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka on Friday.Wawrinka eliminated Marin Cilic from contention 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) in an almost two-hour-long late match.Losing to No. 5-ranked Nishikori would have hurt Murrays chances of holding off Novak Djokovic to keep the No. 1 ranking.Murray relieved Djokovic of the top ranking last week, and Murray believed it would be a fitting end to the year to play the Serb for the ranking and ATP Finals title on Sunday in the final.For the tournament and stuff, for everyone interested in tennis, that would probably be the perfect way to finish the year, Murray said.For me and, Im sure, for Novak, both of our goals would be to try to win the event. It doesnt change for us as players.Murray admitted he abused himself on court more than usual while trying to figure out how to overcome Nishikori.He could have won in two sets, for sure, Murray said.He moves the ball around extremely well, better than anyone maybe. It was physically tough. I wasnt able to dictate many of the points, it felt. More so in the third set I was able to. But not in the first couple of sets. I was having to run, fight, get as many balls back as I could.I feel OK right now. Its normally the next day when you feel stiff and sore, but theres hoppefully three days left in the season, and Ill give my best to get through as many matches as I can.ddddddddddddFor all of Murrays achievements this year, this was the first time he played a top-five opponent since June, when he lost to Djokovic in the French Open final.Nishikori was one of only three players to beat him in the intervening five months, edging a five-setter in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. They also went five sets and almost five hours in the Davis Cup in March.Nishikori extended their first set on Wednesday when he saved a set point at 6-5 down, but he needed four set points to take the opener on a wide forehand by Murray.Murray immediately broke to start the second. Nishikori tied it at 4-4. But Murray broke straight back, and had to save two set points to force a decider.Murray has played more matches than ever this season and he looked drained, but Nishikoris decision-making was clouded by fatigue, and he lost his serve in the third game.When a double fault made it 4-1 to Murray, the Scot finally had some breathing space and the end in sight.Nishikori showed commendable resolve to retrieve one break, but Murray served out at the second time of asking for his 21st successive win.Murray has a chance to match his best streak of 22, from June to August, when he plays Wawrinka on Friday to end group action.Wawrinka saved one set point in the first set, and dominated the tiebreaker. Cilic broke to open the second, but Wawrinka got him back and served too good in the tiebreaker again for his 11th win in 13 matchups with Cilic. ' ' '