Denver, CO – Continuing their recent offensive tear, the Los Angeles Dodgers pounded out four homers and 17 hits to record a 10th victory in 11 games, a 10-8 decision over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday at Coors Field.
Los Angeles, which has accumulated at least 14 hits in each of the last three games, received multi-hit performances from Mark Ellis, Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp, with the two latter each hitting a solo homer in the ninth.
The extra support proved to make a difference, with Kenley Jansen allowing a run to score in the bottom of the ninth. However, he was able secure the four- out save to cap the victory.
Zack Greinke (6-2) earned his third straight win despite struggling over five innings. He walked seven and allowed five runs on six hits.
Ramirez ended 4-for-5 with three runs scored, Ellis had three hits with an RBI and Kemp drove in a pair as a part of a 2-for-5 effort. Adrian Gonzalez added a solo homer and Juan Uribe contributed a two-run shot.
"We know we can come back and win a game," said Ramirez. "That's the difference right now. Things are going good, we keep competing out there and we don't give up."
Tyler Chatwood (4-2) had his worst outing since his first start of the season on April 24. He was charged with 11 hits and six runs -- five earned -- over five frames. He had gone eight straight starts without allowing more than two runs.
The streaking Dodgers have climbed significantly through the NL West standings during their hot stretch and are now in a virtual tie for second with the Rockies. They did see phenom outfielder Yasiel Puig leave the game with hip and thigh injuries in the sixth, but he is considered day-to-day.
Puig got the Dodgers' offense going right away, stretching his one-out base hit into a double and then using his speed to score standing up on an Adrian Gonzalez groundout. He was aided when Colorado catcher Wilin Rosario missed the catch on the throw home, and LA had a 1-0 lead.
Carlos Gonzalez provided the equalizer in the home half of the first, smacking a solo shot over the right field wall and the Rockies pounded Greinke for three more runs in the following frame.
With the bases loaded, DJ LeMahieu laced a chest high breaking ball into left to plate two runs. Greinke walked four in the frame, with his free pass to Carlos Gonzalez preceding a bases-loaded walk to Michael Cuddyer, putting LA in a 4-1 hole.
The Dodgers struck back in the fourth, however, and took a 5-4 lead by stringing together four two-out hits, which featured an RBI single from A.J. Ellis, a two-run homer from Uribe and run-scoring triple from Ellis.
"Its frustrating, I had a 4-1 lead in the fourth and I lost it," said Chatwood. "Its definitely frustrating, but its a tough loss as a team."
Adrian Gonzalez extended the Dodgers' lead to 6-4 in the fifth when he launched a moon shot into the right field seats to start the frame.
The Rockies had runners at the corners in the home half after Rosario tagged on a phenomenal catch by Puig in right. Jonathan Herrera then grounded into a force out to pull Colorado within a run.
Puig appeared to be shaken up on the incredible catch, but stayed in the game long enough to lift a sac fly in the sixth to move the Dodgers' lead to 7-5. However, he was replaced in the field in the bottom of the frame.
Los Angeles' cushion grew to three runs after an RBI groundout from Kemp in the seventh, but Colorado answered with a run-scoring groundout from Todd Helton and an ensuing RBI single from Nolan Arenado in the home portion cut its deficit to 8-7.
Solo homers from Ramirez and Kemp in the top of the ninth created some extra padding for Jansen, who gave up a one-out RBI single to Arenado but retired Herrera and pinch-hitter Tyler Colvin to end the game.
Game Notes
Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 14 games ... Adrian Gonzalez has a 12- game hitting streak against the Rockies ... Colorado has dropped 14 of its last 20 games ... Carlos Gonzalez's homer was his National League-leading 23rd of the season ... The Rockies had 10 hits, but went 3-for-13 with RISP.
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