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 They emphatically ended their offensive drought and finally won
Tuesday night, pounding the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4. It was just
the third loss in 11 games for the Dodgers, whose lead over the San
Francisco in the National League West was cut to three games as the
Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Rockies had nine hits, seven fewer than the Dodgers. However,
Colorado utilized several productive outs to score its first three
runs, then got a two-run homer from left fielder Corey Dickerson in
the fourth to take a 5-0 lead.
The Dodgers came up empty in the fourth and fifth after starting
both innings with consecutive singles. They did it again against
starter Tyler Matzek in the sixth and scored twice to pull within
5-2, but Colorado tacked on two runs in the bottom of the inning
with the help of a costly error by pitcher Brandon League. Dickerson
added a two-run triple in a three-run eighth.
Matzek (6-10) gave up a career-high 11 hits but just two runs in 5
1/3 innings. He repeatedly pitched out of trouble and got a huge
lift from Tommy Kahnle, who relieved him. Kahnle entered in the
sixth with a run in, two on and one out, but he escaped without
allowing another run. He struck out pinch hitter Hanley Ramirez,
gave up an infield hit to second baseman Dee Gordon to load the
bases but struck out center fielder Yasiel Puig, ending a
seven-pitch at-bat with a low full-count fastball that Puig took.
Rockies manager Walt Weiss called Kahnle's outing "pivotal" and said
of his confrontation with Puig, "That was a big-time sequence by
Kahnle right there."
Matzek's fastball command wasn't as good as it had been in recent
starts, and his slider wasn't particularly sharp. But out of
necessity, he threw more curveballs than usual and was able to use
his changeup as a ground-ball pitch. Matzek has gone 4-1 with a 1.56
ERA in his past five starts.
"He's really come a long ways," catcher Mike McKenry said. "He's
really found himself some identity. He pitched out of a ton of jams.
He didn't have his best stuff. He's a competitor. He's keeping us in
ballgames."
McKenry was involved in a key play at the plate in the sixth. After
shortstop Justin Turner doubled home two runs to cut Colorado's lead
to 5-2, Turner tried to score when third baseman Juan Uribe followed
with a double over the head of center fielder Drew Stubbs.
Stubbs relayed the ball to shortstop Josh Rutledge, who fired home
to McKenry. McKenry caught the ball on a short hop and tagged out
Turner in a play Weiss called "a momentum changer." After a crew
chief review to determine whether McKenry had given Turner a sliding
lane, the call was confirmed.
"I was just trying to catch the ball," McKenry said. "You always are
taught to take the best hop, and that's what I did. It took me right
into the plate. He kind of slid into me. He was kind of in-between,
too."
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Asked whether he was surprised Turner tried to score, Dodgers
manager Don Mattlingly said, "Probably one he'd like to have back."
The Rockies jumped out to an early five-run lead on just four hits.
Right fielder Charlie Blackmon led off the first with a walk and
took third when Rutledge followed with a single. First baseman
Justin Morneau's ground out scored Blackmon and moved Rutledge to
third. Rutledge scored on a wild pitch by Dan Haren (13-11).
McKenry doubled in the gap in left-center to open the second. He
took third on a line-drive out to right and scored on second baseman
DJ LeMahieu's groundout.
"We executed very well early on," Weiss said. "Our offensive
execution has been lacking, and it was good tonight."
Turner finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Five other
Los Angeles players, including Haren, added two hits apiece, but the
Dodgers went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded
10 runners.
"We had some chances there in those middle innings," Mattingly said.
"We weren't able to capitalize."
Haren allowed five runs on four hits in five innings before being
lifted for pinch hitter Ramirez with runners on first and second and
two outs in the fifth.
"I thought Danny hung in there," Mattingly said. "We just got to the
point where we had to pinch hit and try to score."
Puig hit his 14th home run, a two-run shot in the ninth off LaTroy
Hawkins, to complete the scoring. Hawkins was pitching for the first
time in eight days.
NOTES: Dodgers SS Hanley Ramirez was scratched from the starting
lineup with a right elbow strain, but did pinch hit Tuesday. It is
unclear whether he will play in the series finale Wednesday
afternoon ... Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado underwent an MRI on his right
chest contusion Monday and was diagnosed with early onset pneumonia.
He is expected to play before the season ends. ... Rockies RHP Eddie
Butler was recalled from Double-A Tulsa, for whom he started Sunday
night. He is likely to get two starts, the first Saturday against
the Arizona Diamondbacks. ... The Dodgers selected the contract of
LHP Daniel Coulombe from Double-A Chattanooga. They reinstated RHP
Stephen Fife (right elbow) from the minor league disabled list,
recalled him from Triple-A Albuquerque and put him on the 60-day
disabled list. He underwent Tommy John surgery Aug. 13.
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