Rockies 1 - 7 Dodgers
Final
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Dodgers hope stay in playoff chase in capper with Rockies

Sep 30, 2012 - 2:14 PM (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Dodgers went all in for a playoff push when they made a deal in late August to bring both Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett to town.

While Gonzalez is heating up at the plate, Beckett gets a chance to improve his club's playoff chances on Sunday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies.

Beckett and Gonzalez were acquired from the Red Sox on Aug. 25 along with Nick Punto and the injured Carl Crawford. Beckett has pitched to a 3.16 earned run average in six starts since the deal, but is only 1-3 in that time.

The right-hander is 0-2 in his last four outings and is coming off a loss at the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. It was another tough-luck outing as Beckett yielded two runs -- one earned -- on five hits and two walks, striking out seven in a 2-1 decision.

"Beckett pitched another great game, the bullpen did a great job and we couldn't score runs the way we should have," said outfielder Matt Kemp. "It's kind of the same thing every time."

The 32-year-old hurler faced the Rockies in his Dodgers debut on Aug. 27 and lost a 10-0 game, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. He fell to 4-2 with a 4.01 ERA in seven lifetime meetings.

Los Angeles got enough offense to win Saturday's meeting thanks to Kemp and starter Joe Blanton.

Kemp hit two homers and Blanton threw six-plus innings of scoreless ball in a 3-0 win, one that moved the Dodgers to within two games of St. Louis for the NL's final wild card spot after the Cards lost to the Washington Nationals.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, extended his hit streak to 11 straight games as L.A. won for the fourth straight time.

"We got enough to win tonight," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Joe Blanton was good. He put up zeroes for us and Matt had a couple of big hits. A big win for us."

Tyler Chatwood allowed two runs on five hits and two walks through four innings for Colorado, which dropped its second straight game on the heels of a four-game win streak.

The Rockies moved just one runner past first base after the first inning.

"We did everything we could do tonight. We just couldn't put a run across," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said.

The Rockies have lost six of eight in Los Angeles this season.

Jorge De La Rosa will close out the set on the mound for Colorado, making his third start of the season after missing 16 months of action due to Tommy John surgery.

The 31-year-old lefty allowed five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of a loss on Sept. 20 to the San Francisco Giants in his season debut, then faced the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and did not get a decision.

De La Rosa yielded four runs -- two earned -- on five hits and a walk in three frames.

He is aiming for his first career victory over the Dodgers, holding a lifetime record of 0-6 with a 5.98 ERA in 12 previous meetings, including eight starts.






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