Rockies not able to achieve sweep of Dodgers

The Rockies (53-76) had been getting off to hot starts in this series which had led to a series victory already, but today they could not do it again in the rubber game with the Los Angeles Dodgers (70-61), losing today 10-8.

Drew Pomeranz got off to a good start, retiring the first 6 Dodgers he faced, but he became unglued in the 3rd inning, when the Dodgers sent 9 men to the plate and scored 6 runs. Juan Rivera and A.J. Ellis began the 3rd inning with successive singles and they were able to advance on Joe Blanton‘s sacrifice. After Mark Ellis reached on 1st baseman Jordan Pacheco‘s fielding error that also allowed Rivera to score the opening run, Shane Victorino followed with an RBI single and Adrian Gonzalez then knocked in a two-run single. Hanley Ramirez then came to the plate and promptly smashed a 2-run HR, his 22nd HR of the season and 8th HR in 32 games with the Dodgers. In the blink of an eye the Rockies were down 6-0 and that was it for Pomeranz.

Pomeranz: 4 IP, 6 hits, 6 runs, 5 ER, 0 BB, 4 K’s, 66 pitches, 49 strikes, ERA went up to 5.13.

The Dodgers Joe Blanton, who was 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA in 4 starts since arriving from the Philadelphia Phillies, was far from dominant but did enough to be effective.

Blanton: 7 1/3 IP, 10 hits, 3 runs, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5K’s, 96 pitches, 67 strikes.

The Rockies got on the board in the bottom of the 7th when Tyler Colvin knocked in a RBI single to score Charlie Blackmon. However, in the top of the 8th, in relief of piggyback man Adam Ottavino ( 3 IP, 0 runs), Will Harris could not throw a strike and after a single and 2 walks the Dodgers had the bases loaded and 0 out. Up to the plate came A.J. Ellis, he of 0 Grand Slam’s in his career, and of course he hit Harris over the right-center field fence and the game looked like a laugher at 10-1. But of course, this is Coors Field, and no game is truly over.

The Rockies sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the 8th and scored 7 times. Blanton retired Carlos Gonzalez on a groundout but then gave up successive singles to Pacheco and Ramon Hernandez before being relieved by Shawn Tolleson, who gave up three run-scoring singles to Chris Nelson, DJ LeMahieu and pinch-hitter Dexter Fowler and a walk to Andrew Brown. Suddenly the Rockies were only down 10-4 with the bases loaded and 1 out. Tolleson was lifted for Randy Choate, who quickly hit Tyler Colvin in the right thigh and walking in the 5th Colorado run and he was then relieved by Ronald Belisario. The Rockies added three more runs in the inning on Josh Rutledge‘s fielder’s choice, Gonzalez’s RBI single and an error by center fielder Shane Victorino, after he bobbled the ball on a single which allowed Rutledge to score from second base and Gonzalez was able to go to second on the throw.

Jordan Pacheco came up to the plate representing the tying run, but instead of working the pitch count and waiting for a pitch he could drive, on the first pitch he saw from Belisario he grounded out to second baseman Mark Ellis. Matt Belisle worked a scoreless 9th, and in the bottom of the 9th after Hernandez grounded out to third, Nelson singled and LeMahieu came up as the potential tying run. However, he grounded into a double play to end the game. In a wild finish the Rockies outhit the Dodgers 15-12, but it wasn’t enough.

This was a great comeback by the Rockies but in reality you cannot spot your opponent a 9 run lead and expect to win. The Rockies have an off day tomorrow to regroup before welcoming the San Diego Padres to town on Friday night at 6.40 P.M MT.