Denver, CO – A.J. Ellis hit a grand slam and Hanley Ramirez added a two-run shot as the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies, coming away with a 10-8 win in the finale of a three-game set from Coors Field.
Adrian Gonzalez added two hits and drove in two runs for the Dodgers, who snapped a three-game slide and won for just the third time in nine outings.
Joe Blanton (9-12) allowed 10 hits and three runs over 7 1/3 innings, for his first win since being acquired by Los Angeles.
"I just tried to keep the ball down as much as I could. Still, you're going to give up hits and runs with such a big outfield here," Blanton said. "I tried to keep the balls out of the gaps and make them hit singles. That's the only way to have a decent chance to win."
Tyler Colvin posted two hits and two RBI for the Rockies, whose two-game win streak ended. Chris Nelson collected three hits and drove in a run for Colorado.
Drew Pomeranz (1-8) was pounded for six hits and five earned runs over just four full frames.
LA cracked double digits in the eighth to run up what appeared to be a comfortable lead. Luis Cruz and Juan Rivera worked walks around a single by Andre Ethier, then Ellis brought everyone home on his first career grand slam, landing to the right of center for a 10-1 game.
"We needed the runs," Ellis said. "I was glad I could do my part to add to the total so we could keep the bullpen fresh."
But the hosts responded with seven in the home half. Run-scoring singles by Nelson, D.J. LeMahieu and Dexter Fowler were supplemented by Colvin's hit-by- pitch, a fielder's choice grounder from Josh Rutledge and a two-run hit from Carlos Gonzalez that cut the Rox deficit to 10-8. Jordan Pacheco ended the rally with a groundout to second.
"We feel like we're never out of a game in here," LeMahieu said. "We were down big, but I don't think anyone thought we were going to go down easy. It says a lot about the character of the people on this team. We gave them all they could handle."
Ronald Belisario, who took over in the eighth and recorded the final two outs in that frame, worked around a Nelson single in the ninth for his first save of the season.
The Dodgers put up six runs in the third thanks to an error, a two-run hit from Adrian Gonzalez, an RBI single by Shane Victorino and a two-run blast to dead center by Ramirez.
Colorado picked up its first run in the seventh, as Charlie Blackmon hit a one-out single, moved up when Fowler walked and scored on a Colvin pinch- single. Blanton worked out of the jam by inducing an inning-ending double-play grounder from Rutledge.
Game Notes
Blanton's last victory came in Los Angeles, on July 16, as a member of the Phillies ... Prior to the game, the Dodgers placed pitcher Scott Elbert on the 15-day disabled list and recalled pitcher Shawn Tolleson from Triple-A Albuquerque ... Tolleson entered the game in the eighth and failed to retire a batter, charged with three hits and four runs with one walk ... LA outfielder Matt Kemp did not play due to a right knee contusion suffered in Tuesday's game when he collided with the center-field wall ... Pomeranz is winless in his last nine starts ... Following the game, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly revealed that closer Kenley Jansen is out indefinitely following a recurrence of an irregular heartbeat.
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