LOS ANGELES -- The D-backs gave the Dodgers plenty of scoring opportunities Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, but it wasn't until the ninth that it wound up costing them.

That's when pinch-hitter Olmedo Saenz smacked a 94 mph offering from Brandon Lyon into center field to score Rafael Furcal with the winning run in the Dodgers' 2-1 win over the D-backs in front of 36,029 at Dodger Stadium.

The loss snapped Arizona's six-game winning streak and dropped the D-backs into second place, one-half game behind the Dodgers.

D-backs starter Livan Hernandez pitched into and out of trouble all night long. The right-hander allowed six hits and walked six in six innings of work. But aside from a bases-loaded walk to Furcal in the second, Hernandez was able to wiggle off the hook unscathed.

The Dodgers wound up stranding 10 runners, including the bases loaded twice, with Hernandez on the mound.

"It happens a lot of times to me, so it's nothing new," said Hernandez.

Dodgers starter Brad Penny was equal to the challenge, as he held Arizona scoreless through six innings. The big right-hander has been a thorn in the D-backs' side since the club traded him to the Marlins in 1999. In his career, Penny is 6-2 against Arizona.

"He's been tough on us, no question," D-backs manager Bob Melvin said. "Pitches a little bit differently it seems like each time against us. Threw some real good splits tonight and off-count curveballs and some good fastballs. We had a tough time figuring him out."

Arizona's lone run came in the eighth, when Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier tried to make a diving catch on Eric Byrnes' sinking line drive. The ball bounced in front of Ethier and all the way to the bullpen gate as Byrnes cruised into third.

Orlando Hudson followed with a line-drive single up the middle off reliever Jonathan Broxton to tie the game at 1-1.

"I've been on both ends of that play," Byrnes said. "It's how the game goes."

Byrnes was on the right side of the play earlier in the game.

In the second with one run already in and the bases loaded, Juan Pierre hit a fly ball toward the line in left and Byrnes raced over and made a diving backhanded catch to end the inning.

"In a situation like that I figured that the way that Penny was pitching we couldn't afford to give up any runs so I was going to take a chance right there," Byrnes said. "It's a risk because if that ball gets by me it's three runs.

Hernandez typically finds himself in jams during his outings because he does not believe in giving into hitters even if it's a three-ball count and the bases are loaded like they were with Furcal up in the second. Instead he'll continue to work the corners.

"I'm the kind of guy where I'm not going to throw something down the middle because maybe he hits a triple or double and three runs score," Hernandez said. "I don't want him to hit a home run in that count."

Hernandez threw 124 pitches, just two pitches shy of the season high in the Majors this year, done by Barry Zito on Friday night against the D-backs.

"Livo pitched his butt off," Byrnes said. "That was fun to watch."

Furcal led off the Dodgers ninth with a ground ball single up the middle off reliever Brandon Lyon. Pierre then sacrificed Furcal to second and he moved to third on Wilson Valdez's grounder to short.

With two outs, Melvin elected to walk slugger Jeff Kent to get to the pitcher's spot in the order.

"It's a no-brainer," Melvin said. "You know Saenz is a great hitter and a good pinch-hitter, but we're not going to let Kent beat us in that situation right there."

Instead it was Saenz who lined the 1-1 pitch up the middle for the game-winner.