Dodgers win a Rockie One, 6-4

Pitching. Pitching. Pitching.

Pitching got the Dodgers a big lead tonight, lost them a lead, and won them the game.

On a night when Kershaw earned his 100th victory at the tender age of 27, ( the second-youngest pitcher to do so), and saw the return of Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers managed to turn a romp into a ride, finally overcoming the Rockies in the ninth, ably assisted by Jansen’s four strikeouts as he fanned every batter he faced in his brief but memorable return appearance.

The Dodgers snapped a two-game losing streak, and have now beaten the Rockies in nine of their last 10 meetings.

The Dodger bats stayed hot with Ethier and Gonzales both having strong nights, along with Rollins, who homered in the first inning. Rollins in fact, was only a triple short of hitting for the cycle (Single, double, triple and home run), and recorded his 900th career RBI.

Kershaw was the Kershaw of Note, until leaving in the seventh. Reliever Paco Rodriguez then gave up four runs in a long seventh inning, and it was left to relievers Jansen and Nicalso to put out the remaining fire. Nicalso retired the last two batters of the game.

Pitching. Write that one down.

Here is how we blogged it:

 

It’s the first-place Dodgers against the Colorado Rockies tonight at the Ravine. The Rockies won last night in a rain-delayed game on a home run by Carlos Gonzalez.

Clayton Kershaw (1-2) faces new Colorado pitcher Eddie Butler.

FIRST INNING

TOP

Charlie Blackmon singles in his first at-bat. He advances to second on a wild pitch by Kershaw.

Kershaw strikes out Troy Tuliwitski.

Nolan Arenado singles.

Wilin Rosario gets himself all stuck out and whatnot by Kershaw.

Carlos Gonzales Flies out to left.

Colorado 0-Dodgers coming up.

BOTTOM

Joc Pederson strikes out.

Jimmy Rollins takes the count to 3-2, then homers into the left corner, his fourth of the season.

Howie Kendrick singles to right.

Adrian Gonzales takes 2-0….then walks, as Kendrick slides into second.

Kendrick gets picked off second, just like that.

Justin Turner singles to right. Gonzales to second.

Yasmani Grandal walks in his 101st at-bat. Señor Gonzales goes to third. There is a chat show at the mound.

Andre Eithier flies out to short center.

Dodgers 1, Colorado 0

SECOND INNNING

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Nick Hundley flies out to short.

Drew Stubbs draws a walk.

DJ LaMaheiu hits one at Turner for an out, and Kendrick tags out Stubbs at second.

Eddie Butler does a bad job of impersonating a bunter.

Dodgers 1, Colorado 0

BOTTOM

Van Slyke out at first.

Kershaw draws a walk.

Joc Pederson hit by a pitch,and he hops to first. Kershaw goes to second.

Jimmy Rollins hits into a perfectly-executed double play.

Dodgers 1, Colorado 0

THIRD INNING

TOP

Charlie Blackmon strikes out.

Troy Tulowitski out at first.

Nolan Arenado strikes out. It’s Kershaw’s fifth tonight.

Kendrick squirts one, so to speak, past Toluwitski.

Adrian Gonzales goes to first on a throwing error. Kendrick to third.

Turner doubles to deep left. Kendrick and Gonzales come home.

Grandal sacrifices to first. Turner makes himself comfy at third.

Ethier singles to right, and Turner comes home.

Van Slyke walks, and Ethier goes off to say Hello to second base.

Kershaw sacrifices to first, bringing home Van Slyke.

New Colorado pitcher Yohan Flande retires Pederson.

Dodgers 4, Colorado 0

FOURTH INNING

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Kershaw fans Rosario.

Gonzales out at first.

Nick Hundley swings at The Universe.

Dodgers 4. Colorado 0

BOTTOM

Rollins doubles to the right field corner.

Kendrick singles to short right field. It’s the Dodgers’ eighth.

Gonzales hits into a double play, and that brings home Rollins.

Justin Turner grounds out.

Dodgers 5, Colorado 0

FIFTH

TOP

DJ Lemahieu draws a walk, figuratively, not literally.

Flande attempts a bunt, which flies straight up into the air, and gets fielded by Turner. LeMahieu holds at first.

Blackmon goes to 2-2 (Pretty good Wave going on right now…), as LeMaheiu steals second.

Full count for Blackmon, and then he does a wave of his own, without swinging.

BOTTOM

Ethier, who threw a major league tantrum in the dugout when he struck out earlier, drills one past first, but appears to twist an ankle in the process, running slowly to first. He is still in.

Van Slyke flies out to deeeeeeep right.

Kershaw singles to first. Ethier is thrown out at second, but he manages to slide just fine.

Pederson singles, and moves Kershaw to third.

Rollins singles, and Kershaw returns to the bosom of the dugout. It’s Rollins’ 900th career RBI.

Kendrick grounds out, but the Dodgers score again.

Dodgers 6, Colorado 0

SIXTH INNING

TOP

Daniel Decalso out at first.

Arenado gets nothing.

Rosario does the same, interestingly enough.

BOTTOM

Adrian Gonzales (He changed his music!) gets caught right before first base.

Turner grounds out to first.

Grandal strikes out, looking like a kid at a toy store window.

SEVENTH INNING

TOP

Gonzales singles to center.

Hundley grounds out to first with some scrappy fielding by Kershaw.

Drew Stubbs (if thats his real name), goes to 2-2, then strikes out, looking. At what I dont know.

Lemahieu singles, bringing home Gonzales.

Pinch-hitter Michael McKenry draws a walk.

Kershaw goes out to a hearty ovation from the fans.

Paco Rodriguez in to pitch for Los Doyers.

Charlie Blackmon singles. loading the bases.

Decalso goes to 1-2, then sends a shot to deep right field, scoring three.

Yimi Garcia in to pitch for the Doyers.

Arenado, up with a runner on second and two outs, goes to 3-1, then walks. Runners on first and second.

Rosario goes to 1-2,…then strikes out, but some real damage has been done.

Dodgers 6, Rockies 4

BOTTOM

Christian Friedrich in to pitch for the Rockies.

Ethier grounds out.

Van Slyke goes down swinging.

Alex Guerrero is in to pinch hit.

Alex Guerrero is in to pinch hit. He grounds out to end the inning. The mood has changed here, and not in a good way.

BOTTOM

Kenley Jansen in to pitch for the Dodgers.

Carlos Gonzales looks at a first strike, and then eventually gets to first on a passed ball by Grandal.

Hundley goes to 2-2, then strikes out, as Gonzales steals second.

Stubbs gets himself all struck out.

LeMaheiu strikes out, and the Dodgers breathe a short sigh of relief.

BOTTOM

Pederson, hit by a pitch in the second inning, grounds out to first.

Rollins singles to right.

Kendrick goes to 0-2, then strikes out with a mean swing.

Gonzales goes 1-1, 1-2, then strikes out to end the inning.

Dodgers 6, Colorado 4.

TOP

Adam Liberatore in to pitch for the Doyers.

Corey Dickerson strikes out, swinging.

Charlie Blackmon singles to short center.

Descalso goes to 1-1, then singles to short left. This is beginning to look familiar.

Nicasio in to pitch for the Dodgers.

Descalso goes to 0-2. 1-2, then strikes out.

Rockies pull off a double steal! Who are these guys?

Runners on second and third.