Final
  for this game

Rockies take down Dodgers

May 1, 2012 - 5:48 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki and Ramon Hernandez each drove in a pair of runs to lead the Rockies over the Dodgers, 6-2, in the opener of a three-game series between National League West rivals.

Juan Nicasio (2-0) pitched into the seventh and allowed two runs on nine hits and a pair of walks to earn the win and snap Colorado's two-game skid.

The Rockies did most of their damage against Aaron Harang (1-2), who was touched for five runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings on the hill.

Matt Kemp belted his 12th home run of the young season in the away first, but the red-hot slugger struck out against Esmil Rogers with the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh inning.

Following the unlikely punchout, Rex Brothers fanned the only batter he faced, Andre Ethier, and Edgmer Escalona induced a pop out off the bat of pinch- hitter Juan Rivera to keep the hosts on top, 5-2.

"That's one of those points in the game where it could have went south," Brothers said. "We executed some pitches and did some good things, so hopefully we can get a little momentum and keep things rolling."

Los Angeles, trying to tie the franchise record for most wins in April, wound up going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10.

"We had a really good month. You can't ask for much better," said Kemp, who has the club atop the division with a 16-7 record. "Now we have to turn the page and get ready for the next month."

After Colorado's relievers worked out of that bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh, the Rockies tacked on another insurance run in their half on Gonzalez's RBI single to right.

Escalona stayed on the mound and pitched a scoreless eighth, and Rafael Betancourt set down the side in order in the ninth to secure the win.

Kemp's opposite-field line drive in the first inning narrowly cleared the wall in right, but the Rockies got the run back in the bottom half when Marco Scutaro led off with a double and eventually scored on a Gonzalez groundout.

Tulowitzki doubled down the left-field line to plate Jonathan Herrera and Gonzalez in the fourth, then raced in on Hernandez's sacrifice fly to center later in the inning.

Juan Uribe and Hernandez traded run-scoring hits in the sixth.

Game Notes

Dodgers reliever Todd Coffey was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list on Monday and tossed a scoreless eighth...The Dodgers' record for wins in April is 17 (1974, '77, '84)...Colorado went 11-11 in April.