The debut of Josh Beckett wasn't enough to get the Los Angeles Dodgers on track. They'll try to avoid a third straight loss on Tuesday behind Chris Capuano in the middle portion of a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies.
The Dodgers have lost five of their last seven games overall, a stretch that began with a three-game sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. Monday's 10-0 defeat to the Rockies dropped the Dodgers 2 1/2 games back of the Giants for first place in the NL West.
Los Angeles won on Saturday night hours after completing a deal with the Boston Red Sox that brought Beckett, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and infielder Nick Punto -- as well as injured outfielder Carl Crawford -- on board, but failed to complete a sweep of the Miami Marlins on Sunday prior t last night's loss.
Beckett got the start and allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings. His debut got off to a rough start when he gave up a homer to Colorado's Tyler Colvin on his second pitch of the game.
Colvin knocked in three runs for the Rockies, who blew the game open by scoring seven times in the eighth inning and have now won five of their seven home meetings with the Dodgers this season.
Jeff Francis surrendered three hits and fanned six over five innings, as Colorado won for the seventh time in nine games.
"It's a great game. You have to play good baseball against this team, dealing with this lineup," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "You cannot afford to give them unnecessary opportunities. Jeff Francis did a great job of not allowing any of this to happen."
The Dodgers had just four hits in the game.
"I was the second-best pitcher out there," Beckett said. "Jeff kept us off balance and he made some pitches when he needed to."
Los Angeles now turns to Capuano, who struggled in a loss to the Giants on Wednesday. He yielded six runs on six hits over five-plus innings, striking out just two without a walk in the 8-4 setback.
The left-hander's fourth loss in his last five decisions left Capuano 11-9 with a 3.38 earned run average this season.
Capuano, 34, is 1-2 with a 3.26 ERA in three starts versus the Rockies this season. He pitched well the last time he faced them on Aug. 6, but took a tough-luck 2-0 defeat after yielding two runs over seven innings.
For the Rockies, Tyler Chatwood gets the start and is 3-3 with a save and 4.98 ERA in 12 games this season, including five starts.
The 22-year-old righty saw his last outing versus the New York Mets on Thursday end after three innings due to 65 pitches, 10 fewer than Tracy's 75- pitch limit for his starters. Chatwood allowed three hits and three walks while striking out three in the brief scoreless outing.
Chatwood did not get a decision as the bullpen combined to hold New York off the board in a 1-0 win.
In two career starts versus the Dodgers, Chatwood is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA.
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