Colorado 7, LA Dodgers 4
When: 8:10 PM ET, Friday, September 25, 2015
Where: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
Temperature:
79°
Umpires:
Home -
Kerwin Danley, 1B -
D.J. Reyburn, 2B -
Stu Scheurwater, 3B -
Joe West
Attendance:
38485
By The Sports Xchange
DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies began their second straight series against a playoff contender and fared better against Los Angeles than they did against Pittsburgh.
After getting swept in four games by the Pirates, the Rockies on Friday beat the Dodgers 7-4 and broke a five-game losing streak.
The win was just their sixth in 17 games against the Dodgers this season.
The Dodgers entered the game with a magic number of three to clinch the National League West.
Three-run outbursts against Mike Bolsinger (6-5) in the third and fourth gave the Rockies a 7-1 lead. Two of the runs in the third were unearned.
"His command was not very good," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "You can't get away if you keep getting behind in the count and got to get it over -- you got to pay."
The Rockies teed off on Bolsinger in the fourth with three homers -- center fielder Charlie Blackmon (No. 17), right fielder Carlos Gonzalez (38) and left fielder Corey Dickerson (8), who finished a triple shy of the cycle.
The barrage marked the second time the Rockies have hit three homers in an inning this season. They did it July 26 against Cincinnati in the third.
David Hale (5-5), taking the turn of injured Yohan Flande, held the Dodgers to one run in five innings and got 10 outs on ground balls. Having not started since Aug. 23, Hale left after throwing 89 pitches.
Rockies manager Walt Weiss said the plan was to have Hale throw 80 pitches, but he let Hale go out in the fifth so he could qualify for the win, something Hale said he very much appreciated.
"The sinker and the changeup were working well," Hale said. "The new mechanics I have, they're more second nature now that I don't think about them to do them."
Back in July, Hale began working to make his delivery more efficient.
"I was just really rotational," he said, "and it's harder to throw a strike coming sideways. Now it's more straight down toward the plate."
The Dodgers cut the lead to 7-4 in the seventh on a two-run single by second baseman Howie Kendrick off Rex Brothers. But with runners on second and third, Scott Oberg, who relieved Brothers, got left fielder Carl Crawford to ground out. Oberg has stranded 39 of 47 inherited runners this season.
"He got two really big outs," Weiss said, "and (right-hander Justin) Miller going out there in the eighth against three left-handers and having a clean inning -- those five outs right there really were the game."
John Axford retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his 25th save in 31 chances.
Aided by some sloppy fielding, the Rockies scored a run in the first and three more in the third. Bolsinger dropped a throw from first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to start the first. And the Rockies scored when Carlos Gonzalez singled and third baseman Nolan Arenado grounded into a fielder's choice.
After Dickerson doubled home a run with one out in the third, he scored when Gonzalez let first baseman Justin Morneau's grounder go through his legs. Second baseman Rafael Ynoa's two-out triple completed the three-run inning.
"First two innings I was happy," said Bolsinger, who has allowed 21 hits and 17 runs, 13 earned, in 17 innings in four starts since returning to the Dodgers this month from Triple-A Oklahoma City at the start of this month. "After that, it kind of went downhill."
NOTES: Rockies OF Brandon Barnes is likely done for the season due to a left-hamstring strain he suffered Wednesday, causing him to leave the game. ... Rockies LHP Yohan Flande is at least 50-50 to return this season, manager Walt Weiss said. Flande suffered a patellar tendon contusion when struck by a line drive Saturday. ... Dodgers 3B Chase Utley made his second career start at that position, the other coming Saturday. ... Dodgers RHP Mat Latos was released. He had been designated for assignment on Sept. 17 after he went 0-3 with a 6.66 ERA in six games, five starts, after being acquired in a three-team trade July 30. ... Dodgers OF Kiki Hernandez (left hamstring strain) had a heavy day of running and hitting at the Dodgers' complex in Glendale, Ariz., and is expected to be back with the team if he doesn't report soreness on Saturday. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 31.
Top Game Performances
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
LA Dodgers
|
9 |
0 |
12 |
.265 |
13 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
Colorado
|
9 |
3 |
21 |
.265 |
13 |
9 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
0 |