47 PLAYERS USED IN EPIC 16-INNING MARATHON

Wednesday night’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and hometown San Diego Padres went into the record books as a 5-3 win in 16 innings for L.A., But that doesn’t capture the epic nature of the five-hour, 49-minute matchup with AJ Pollock’s two-run home run in the 16th. This marathon was the longest game since MLB adopted a rule that placed a runner at second base to hasten the end of extra-inning games and the longest since the 2019 season. It featured 35 baserunners and 19 pitchers who threw 489 pitches. The Padres had only four hits on the night and did not score between the third and 14th innings. By the time the game ended at one minute before 1 a.m. Pacific time, 47 players had been used and the Padres had been forced to use two pitchers as pinch-hitters. For the first five extra innings, neither team could score. Then, in the 15th, each scored twice. No MLB game had lasted longer than 13 innings since the league adopted a rule placing a runner on second base to start extra innings.