Betancourt, Colorado Rockies Collapse In The Ninth

Jun 2, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder

Alex Guerrero

(7) celebrates with third base coach Lorenzo Bundy (49) after hitting a grand slam in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Dodgers defeated the Rockies 9-8. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

After winning game one of the doubleheader, the Colorado Rockies went for the sweep Tuesday night in Denver against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Final. 8. 108. 9. 71

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The Colorado Rockies took an 8-5 lead into the ninth inning Tuesday night at Coors Field, and with two strikes and two outs – and the bases loaded – Alex Guerrero hit a grand slam home run that pushed the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead for a 9-5 victory.

The Dodgers avenged their day game loss on Tuesday afternoon, salvaging the doubleheader and giving them a 2-1 series advantage with the final game of the series happening Wednesday in Denver.

Through two and a half innings, the Dodgers jumped out to a 4-0 lead off Rockies’ starter David Hale, thanks to home runs from Enrique Hernandez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Joc Pederson.

The Rockies would get two runs back in the fourth to make it a 4-2 game thanks to a Charlie Blackmon sacrifice fly, and a DJ LeMahieu RBI single that closed the gap on Dodgers’ starter Zack Greinke.

Hale would calm down after the third, tossing three more scoreless innings, and the Rockies would get one run back in the fourth and two more back in the sixth – with Nick Hundley in the middle of both rallies – to take a 5-4 lead entering the seventh inning.

Hale ended up throwing six full innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and no walks, while striking out five batters. He did allow three home runs, though, while throwing 57 of his 82 pitches for strikes.

His counterpart, Greinke, also lasted six innings, allowing five runs on ten hits and a walk, only striking out two Rockies’ hitters. Greinke, like Hale, worked efficiently with just 81 pitches after six frames, but both pitchers were removed before the seventh inning.

In the seventh, the Dodgers got a run back to tie the game thanks to an RBI triple from Pederson off Rockies’ reliever Brooks Brown.

Then, in the bottom of the seventh, the Rockies took the lead again, at 7-5, when Troy Tulowitzki blasted an emotional two-run home run off Yimi Garcia that also scored LeMahieu.

The Rockies tacked on a run in the eighth, thanks to a Brandon Barnes RBI single, and took an 8-5 lead into the top of the ninth inning against a home run-happy Dodgers lineup.

After having closer John Axford already earn a save earlier in the day, Rockies manager Walt Weiss chose to have Rafael Betancourt throw the ninth inning, and the gamble didn’t pay off for Colorado.

Betancourt gave up three hits in the inning, and did eventually get two outs – and even had two strikes on Alex Guerrero with the bases loaded and a chance to end the game – but a mistake pitch turned into a grand slam home run to dead center field and a 9-8 lead for the Dodgers.

Carlos Gonzalez doubled off Kenley Jansen in the bottom of the ninth, but the Rockies couldn’t bring him around, and lost a disheartening game 9-8, when they were just a pitch away from victory.

Betancourt (2-2) took the loss, while Josh Ravin (1-0) earned the win throwing just five pitches in relief for Los Angeles.

The two clubs will meet again Wednesday in the series finale at Coors Field.

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