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Dodgers beat Rockies 6-5 on Kemp's go-ahead triple

May 8, 2010 - 6:23 AM By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES(AP) -- Matt Kemp found just the right location to drop in his first triple of the season, a well-placed hit that ended his 14-game RBI drought and proved the final comeback in a game full of them.

Kemp's big hit in the sixth inning lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.

"I forgot what it felt like to get a RBI," he said. "Baseball is a game of inches. I hit it in the right spot."

It was Kemp's first RBI since a two-run homer at Cincinnati on April 21, when he scored a career high-tying four runs. A week later, general manager Ned Colletti criticized him for sub-par play. He was 7 for 26 on the homestand coming into the last-place Dodgers' first game against a NL West rival since April 18.

"If we were winning and I was playing bad, it would be different," he said. "I'm just trying to work through it, working every day to get that rhythm back."

Jeff Weaver (1-1) pitched one-third of an inning with a walk to earn his 100th career victory hours after being reinstated from the 15-day disabled list after missing 14 games with a low back strain.

"It's nice to get in there the first day back," the former starter said. "Get one out, get a win compared to pitching nine innings to get a win. I'll take it any way."

Jonathan Broxton put the tying run on with a leadoff single to Carlos Gonzalez in the ninth. Gonzalez was thrown out by Russell Martin trying to steal second, then Broxton struck out Ian Stewart and pinch-hitter Jason Giambi to earn his second save.

"That was huge," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "He nailed him easy, that was certainly a big lift for us.

"It's important to play well in your division. Before the season, I thought we had the toughest division in the league and that's going to keep anyone from running off and hiding. Hopefully we can get things straightened out."

The Dodgers improved to 4-4 in one-run games, including 3-0 at home.

Jamey Carroll greeted Matt Daley (0-1) with a leadoff double in the sixth and was sacrificed to third by pinch-hitter Reed Johnson. Kemp's fly ball fell between center fielder Dexter Fowler and right fielder Gonzalez and went past them for the triple.

"I definitely thought I jammed him enough that it was going to be able to stay up long enough, but the only hole you could find in right-center, it found," Daley said. "That's baseball. Sometimes that happens. I looked at the video, and they both got really good jumps. I don't think either one of them could have gotten to it - maybe if they laid out completely. It would have been an amazing play if one of them caught it."

Neither Fowler nor Gonzalez yelled for the ball.

"I couldn't have gotten to it. Carlos said he was about to dive for it, but he thought I was too close. He thought I was going to dive for it, so he didn't dive," Fowler said. "Any loss is frustrating, especially when you lose by one run. If one of us catches that ball, it's a different ballgame."

The teams matched each other's scoring through six innings, with Colorado twice taking the lead and the Dodgers rallying three times to take it back and earn their second straight win.

Gonzalez drove in two runs for the Rockies with a single in the fourth and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the fifth that gave them a 3-2 lead.

The Dodgers scored three runs in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead.

The Rockies tied the game 5-all in the sixth. Pinch-hitter Eric Young Jr. had his first major league triple and scored on Seth Smith's single that chased Hiroki Kuroda. Todd Helton's sacrifice fly brought in the other run off George Sherrill.

Kuroda gave up nine hits and five runs in 5 1-3 innings, struck out three and walked a career-high five.

Colorado starter Esmil Rogers allowed five runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings.

The Dodgers' James Loney went 0 for 4 on his 26th birthday, ending his career-high streak of driving in a run in six consecutive games.

NOTES: After the game, LF Xavier Paul was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque to make room for Manny Ramirez, who comes off the disabled list Saturday after missing 14 games with a right calf strain. ... Beforehand, the Dodgers optioned RHP John Ely to Triple-A a night after he allowed one earned run in 6 2-3 innings. ... Rockies closer Huston Street (right shoulder tightness) threw a seven-pitch inning in an extended spring training game Friday and threw 13 more pitches in the bullpen afterward. He'll throw a bullpen for the club Monday, and the team will decide on a rehab assignment. ... Rockies LHP Jeff Francis threw 74 pitches in an injury rehab start at Double-A Tulsa on Thursday night. He gave up two runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and two walks in 4 2-3 innings. Francis will start again Tuesday for Tulsa.