PHOENIX _ The miracle of childbirth aided the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. A day after a 15-inning loss to Arizona that lasted 5 hours 46 minutes, the team needed to add a pitcher to its roster but lacked one they wanted to send to the minors to create space.
An opening arrived from an unlikely source: Reliever Josh Fields left the team to be with his wife, Brittney, as she gave birth to their first child.
"That's a win-win for everyone," manager Dave Roberts said before Tuesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. "Josh is en route right now. We wish the Fieldses well. And we expect to get him back here on Friday, in San Francisco."
With Fields on the paternity list, the Dodgers called up right-hander Zach Neal. To make room on the 40-man roster for Neal, the team designated pitcher Jesus Liranzo for assignment. The Dodgers acquired Liranzo from Baltimore on Monday.
The Dodgers required an extra arm because their long reliever, Wilmer Font, pitched 4 1/3 innings in Monday's 8-7 defeat. He entered the game in the 10th inning and did not depart until giving up a walkoff single to backup catcher Jeff Mathis.
After four scoreless innings, Font could not protect a one-run lead created by a run-scoring single by Chase Utley in the top of the 15th.
If the game had gone to the 16th, Roberts would have used a position player to pitch. His first choice was Joc Pederson. His next choice was Yasiel Puig. If either had gone to the mound, Roberts planned to use Kenta Maeda as the replacement in the outfield.
Roberts said he was intrigued about the prospect of Puig pitching.
"I think he would be straight as a string," Roberts said. "I think it would come with some pretty good velocity. I think for me the worry is that he would try to overexert himself, and come up sore, let alone injured. But it would be kind of comical for me."
