David Zalubowski, Associated Press The scoreboard hangs over Colorado Rockies' Ryan Spilborghs as he makes the final out in the Rockies' 2-1 loss in 18 innings to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The game started Tuesday night and ended early Wednesday morning after 5 hours, 21 minutes -- the longest game in Coors Field history.

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The major-league baseball schedule Tuesday night had the full complement of 15 games.

But the capricious baseball gods, perhaps still ticked about all those games lost in 1994 because of the players' strike, deemed 15 games weren't enough.

They tossed in two very unscheduled "games" and created a first for major-league ball. That night there were two 18-inning games played on the same date. That never had happened -- and might never again. Maybe shouldn't happen again.

"By the 16th [inning], you're delirious," Arizona first baseman Conor Jackson said. "I swear it. You're running on instinct. Just a big-league game in general for nine innings is mentally exhausting, but 18? Dude, come on."

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Jackson's Diamondbacks outlasted Colorado, 2-1, at Coors Field -- of all places -- in a game that ended 45 minutes after Chicago sleepwalked past the Astros in Houston, 8-6.

"Your mental acuity can only hold on so long," Cory Sullivan, the Rockies' erudite outfielder, told MLB.com. "We played a great game. Everybody battled. It was a war of attrition. Unfortunately, somebody had to score, and unfortunately, it wasn't us."

The Diamondbacks won it on a single by veteran Luis Gonzalez, who was 0 for 7 as he stepped into the batter's box early Wednesday morning.

"It was the greatest 1-for-8 night of his life," said Eric Byrnes, who scored the deciding run.

Matt Murton was the key marathoner in the Cubs' victory. He hit a game-tying home run off Brad Lidge in the ninth, then had a two-run single in the 18th.

"After the fifth or sixth at-bat, you feel like you're in the twilight zone," Murton said. "You have to fight it."

It was the second 18-inning game for the Astros this season. On May 27, they lost to the Pirates, 8-7, at PNC Park.

A 1989 marathon

The Cubs hadn't played an 18-inning game since Aug. 6, 1989, when they lost to the Pirates, 5-4, at Three Rivers Stadium. That long day's journey into night -- the game began at 1:35 and didn't end until just after 8 p.m. -- included a 45-minute rain delay in the bottom of the 10th.

Each team scored a run in the ninth. Then nobody scored until Jeff King, who had left seven runners on base and was 0 for 7, smoked a leadoff home run off Scott Sanderson, who was beginning his ninth inning of relief.

Doug Drabek pitched two innings in relief and got the win.

Positive spin on 0-for-8 night

Colorado's Jamey Carroll was 0 for 8 in that 18-inning affair Tuesday night.

"If you're going to take an 0 for 8," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said, "there's nowhere like the big leagues to take one. It's a lot tougher taking it in A-ball or in Chattanooga or in Triple-A."

A Coors light-scoring affair

Did Hurdle ever think he'd see a 2-1, 18-inning game played at Coors Field?

"Not in my wildest dreams," he said. "Not until now -- because I lived it. We saw it. We were part of it."

Lidge's fall

Brad Lidge has struggled a bunch this season, and the home run he allowed to Matt Murton Tuesday cost him his closer's job -- again.

"We're going to [close] by committee," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "He may close games in certain situations, but I may use him in the seventh and eighth innings as well."

Through that fateful Tuesday night, Lidge had allowed 21 hits, including 5 home runs, and 16 runs (all earned) in 19 innings over 21 appearances dating to June 25.

"I'm assuming I'll be part of that committee," Lidge said. "It's been frustrating. I just haven't gotten the results I've wanted. I feel good. I feel confident. Sometimes, I'm throwing pitches where I want and sometimes I'm throwing bad pitches."

Bonds vs. Maddux equals history

There was another major-league first Sunday night in the San Francisco-Los Angeles game.

When Barry Bonds batted against Greg Maddux in the first, it was the first time a player with at least career 700 home runs faced a pitcher with at least 300 career wins, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Bonds lined into a double play begun by Maddux in that historic at-bat.

In that game won by the Dodgers, 1-0, in 10 innings, Maddux retired the final 22 batters he faced, needing only 68 pitches to "work" eight innings.

	Hard day's night The Astros have somehow managed to play three 18-inning games in the past 10 months. What are the odds? Oct. 9, 2005: Houston's Chris Burke homers in the bottom of the 18th to end the longest game in postseason history and give the Astros a 7-6 win vs. Atlanta that sends them to the NLCS. Game time: 5:50. May 27, 2006: The Pirates' Jason Bay runs over catcher Eric Munson to score the winning run on Jose Bautista's sacrifice fly. Game time: 5:49. Aug. 15, 2006: Chicago's Matt Murton hits a tying home run off closer Brad Lidge in the top of the ninth, then breaks a 6-6 tie with a two-run single in the 18th to give the Cubs an 8-6 win. Game time: 5:36.

"He played with us," Giants manager Felipe Alou said. "We hit the pitches that he wanted us to beat into the ground. We didn't hit into any ground-ball double plays because we didn't have anybody on base for two hours."

Room for everyone

Tony La Russa, whose St. Louis Cardinals beat back the latest challenge by the Cincinnati Reds last week, thinks it's wonderful there are so many teams involved in division and wild-card races.

"The more teams that are in contention, the more fans are staying with [baseball] instead of going to college or pro football," he told the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Santana is Mr. Clutch

There can be no better stretch-drive starter than Minnesota's Johan Santana.

Since 2002, Santana is 18-1 in August with a 1.80 earned run average in 21 starts.

"That's what we call a baller," Twins center fielder Torii Hunter said. "He smells that wild card. I smell that wild card. We've both been around. We've been in the playoffs. We know what it takes to get there."

In the twilight zone

Detroit rookie reliever Joel Zumaya has reached 101 mph on stadium radar guns frequently this season.

Thus, it's not comforting facing the right-hander in the best of circumstances. But how about in the shadow-laden twilight of a late afternoon as Kansas City's Doug Mientkiewicz did?

"He was throwing 100 mph in the dark," the first baseman told the Kansas City Star. "All you can do is swing early and use Jedi mind tricks."