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 The win was just the third for the Dodgers in their past nine
games.
The loss was the eighth straight for the Rockies, their longest
slide since they dropped nine consecutive games from Sept. 15 to
Sept. 23, 2012.
Gordon, the Dodgers' second baseman, tripled on Butler's second
pitch of the game and scored on shortstop Hanley Ramirez's ground
out.
In the fifth, after pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu led off with a double,
Gordon followed with a triple.
Gordon also singled home a run in the sixth, when the Dodgers
knocked Butler out of the game.
"Our at-bats were good," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Dee
got us going early. I thought our guys were good. Especially when
you get a kid you don't really know."
In his Coors Field debut, Ryu pitched six innings, holding the
Rockies scoreless until center fielder Drew Stubbs homered with one
out in the sixth. Colorado added a run in that inning when catcher
Michael McKenry doubled and third baseman Charlie Culberson followed
with a triple. But Ryu got pinch-hitter Brandon Barnes to fly out on
his final pitch.
"I could tell right away why a lot of pitchers don't like throwing
here," Ryu said. "It was a difficult outing out there. All aspects
of gripping the ball was tough today. I just tried to keep the ball
low the entire game."
The Dodgers drove Butler, 23, from the game with a two-run rally in
the sixth that began with third baseman Justin Turner's leadoff
single. After catcher Drew Butera walked, both runners moved up on
Ryu's sacrifice and scored on Gordon's single.
Butler, who replaced Franklin Morales in the rotation, was brought
up after going 4-4 with a 2.49 ERA in 11starts at Double-A Tulsa. On
Friday, he gave up 10 hits, walked three and was charged with six
runs but pitched better than that line indicated.
"The guy has got a very bright future in this league," Rockies
manager Walt Weiss said. "He showed big-time stuff. The Dodgers had
some timely hits so the line [wasn't] all that pretty. He's a
big-time arm. His fastball was beating the bat a lot of times
tonight. He showed a very good changeup. Very poised, good pace.
He's going to help us."
Butler, the 46th overall pick in the 2012 draft, became the first
Rockies pitcher to start a game in his major-league debut since Chad
Bettis on Aug. 1, 2013, at Atlanta and the first to do it at Coors
Field since Edwar Cabrera on June 27, 2012. Before the game, Weiss
said Butler was in the rotation to stay and was not just making a
spot start.
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Butler was consistently hit 94-96 mph with his fastball and threw a
90-91 mph slider and an 89-90 mph changeup. He was unable to retire
the side in order in any inning, however.
"I missed a few times over the heart of the plate, and they don't
miss it here," Butler said.
Naturally, Butler will forever remember his debut, although not with
particular fondness.
"I definitely want to have a better start than that and give the
guys a chance to win," he said. "Gave up six runs in 5 1/3 -- it's
not bad, but it's not great. We kind of got shut down a little bit,
especially in key situations. I didn't help out there either."
Butler was referring to his two at-bats in the second and fourth
innings when he grounded out to end the innings with runners on
first and second. The Rockies went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring
position.
NOTES: Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki was ejected in the ninth inning by
home plate umpire Dan Iassogna for arguing a called third strike. It
was Tulowitzki's second ejection of the season. The other was May 14
at Kansas City. ...3B Michael Cuddyer was not in the Colorado lineup
because of a strained left shoulder. He sustained the injury diving
for a ball in the ninth inning Thursday night. ... The Dodgers
selected the contract of IF Miguel Rojas from Triple-A Albuquerque.
They optioned IF Erisbel Arruebarrena to Albuquerque and transferred
RHP Chris Withrow (right elbow ligament tear) to the 60-day disabled
list to make room on the 40-man roster for Rojas. ... The Rockies
selected the contract of RHP Eddie Butler before his major league
debut. They did not need to make room on the 40-man roster, having
already cleared a spot Wednesday when C Jordan Pacheco was
designated for assignment.
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