Los Angeles, CA – Matt Kemp and Luis Cruz each hit a two-run home run as the Los Angeles Dodgers capped a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 7-1 win.
The victory helped Los Angeles keep pace for the final wild card spot in the National League as the team remains two games back of the St. Louis Cardinals, who defeated the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
"We painted ourselves into this corner," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. "If we do what we have to do, St. Louis will have to win two games. We're forcing them to win games."
A.J. Ellis added a two-run homer while Shane Victorino went 3-for-5 and scored twice for the Dodgers, who have won five straight. Josh Beckett (2-3) gave up just one run on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts over six innings.
Andrew Brown's solo home run was the only score of the game for the Rockies, who had won four straight coming into the series. Jorge De La Rosa (0-2) lasted just four innings in the start and gave up four runs on five hits.
"From mid-July we've had a number of rookies on the field," said Colorado manager Jim Tracy. "They played hard today. But you can't catch a ball that's over the fence."
Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Brown led off with his fifth home run of the season, but Los Angeles took control in the bottom of the inning.
Victorino led off with a single and Kemp followed with his 23rd home run of the season. Adrian Gonzalez then singled and Cruz later smacked his sixth homer of the campaign for a 4-1 lead.
Hanley Ramirez singled home Victorino in the fifth for a 5-1 advantage. On the play, Kemp was thrown out at home trying to score from second to end the inning.
Ellis made it a 7-1 game in the sixth with his 12th home run of the season after Andre Ethier walked.
Colorado left the bases loaded in the seventh and stranded a runner on third in the eighth.
Josh Wall kept Colorado off the board in the ninth to cap the win.
Game Notes
The Dodgers host the Giants for the final three games of the regular season ... Colorado closes out its campaign in Arizona ... Los Angeles won the season series, 10-8 ... Beckett improved to 5-2 in eight games against the Rockies ... Colorado went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 12 on base.
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