Arizona breaks modern extra-innings-played record

SAN DIEGO -- After their 12-inning win over the Padres on Tuesday, the D-backs have played 78 extra innings this year, breaking the record since 1920 of 76 set by the 1969 Twins. The Major League record for most extra innings played in a season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, is 82 set by the 1918 Washington Senators.

"It's not exactly the record we wanted," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said.

"That's a lot, wow," said shortstop Didi Gregorius, who delivered the game-winning triple Tuesday. "We keep playing hard, that's all we can do. If it goes extra, we just keep playing hard."

Closer Brad Ziegler, who retired the Padres in order in the 12th to secure the win, was asked if it felt like the D-backs had played 78 extra innings this year.

"More," he said, laughing.

That's understandable considering the D-backs have played games of 18 innings, two that stretched to 16, one 15-inning and two 14-inning games.

"You prefer to get the job done quicker, but you go as long as you have to go and hang in there and learn how to play in those games," Gibson said.

The D-backs have played a franchise-record of 24 extra-inning games this year and have gone 17-7 in those contests.

A big reason for all the extra-inning games is the 29 blown saves by the Arizona bullpen, which leads the Majors.

"In a lot of ways, a lot of the games that we played extra innings were because of blown saves and you can go back to the beginning of the season and start that," Ziegler said. "But at the same time, it says a lot about our offense, because there were a lot of games we came from behind to get to extra innings, too, and we've won a whole lot of those games. It's hard on the pitching staff and it's fatiguing for everybody, but we fought through it and we've played those games hard."