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Rockies rally to top Dodgers

Jun 10, 2011 - 6:07 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Troy Tulowitzki went 2-for-5 with four RBI as the Colorado Rockies rallied for a 9-7 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a four-game series.

Jason Giambi forced home the winning run with a bases loaded pinch-hit walk in the seventh inning while Carlos Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Rockies, who have won three of their last four.

Juan Nicasio went five innings in the start and was touched for four runs on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Rafael Betancourt (2-0) got the win for throwing a perfect eighth inning.

"This game is what we did fairly often last year," Tulowitzki said. "We haven't had a game like this pretty much all this year. We felt some energy and we felt like we were going to come back. It is just one game, but hopefully it will be something that gets us going."

Matt Kemp finished a single short of the cycle and drove in three while Andre Ethier went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored for the Dodgers, who have dropped three of four.

Clayton Kershaw gave up six runs on seven hits over six-plus innings while Scott Elbert (0-1) suffered the loss.

"It's not fun to lose," Kershaw said. "It's not fun to lose when you had the lead. Call it what you want, but it's not a good feeling."

Trailing by four runs in the seventh, Colorado went ahead with a five-run inning.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Elbert took the mound and promptly gave up an RBI single to Gonzalez. After Chris Nelson struck out, Todd Helton walked to force in a run.

Mike MacDougal then took the hill and a Tulowitzki single scored two runs. After Ty Wigginton walked, Giambi drew a pinch-hit walk to force home Helton for an 8-7 lead.

Betancourt set the Dodgers down in order in the eighth while Nelson gave the Rockies an insurance run in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice fly that scored Seth Smith.

Huston Street gave up a one-out double to Ethier in the ninth, but prevented Kemp from getting the cycle by striking him out and inducing a fly out from Rod Barajas to end the game and grab his 18th save of the season.

Kemp led off the fourth with his 18th home run of the season to give the Dodgers the lead, and an RBI single from Ethier followed by a two-run triple from Kemp in the fifth gave the Dodgers a 4-0 lead.

Colorado loaded the bases with one out in the sixth and was able to push across three runs. Tulowitzki brought home two with a double and Wigginton followed with a groundout to make it a 4-3 game.

However, the Dodgers got them back in the seventh. Kershaw led off with a single and scored when Dee Gordon bunted and Jose Morales threw the ball away. Casey Blake then doubled home Gordon and a sacrifice fly from Ethier made it a 7-3 contest.

Game Notes

Kemp has 53 RBI on the season...Colorado has won four of the six games against Los Angeles this season...Chad Billingsley pitches for the Dodgers on Friday and will be opposed by Colorado's Jhoulys Chacin.