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Furcal, Kemp spark Dodgers past Rockies

May 3, 2008 - 6:22 AM By Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) - The Los Angeles Dodgers stayed hot even in the cold.

The Dodgers needed several innings to adjust to a 50-degree swing in temperature from one game to the next, but they sizzled in the sixth to rally past the slumping Colorado Rockies for an 11-6 victory Friday night at Coors Field.

Los Angeles (16-13) has won a season-high seven games in a row.

"That is going to happen in baseball," Los Angeles' Rafael Furcal said. "You got to play no matter how the weather is. Sometimes when the weather is like that, you don't have much concentration because you're afraid you are going to jam your hands. But we took care of business tonight."

Just 24 hours earlier, the Dodgers played in balmy, 80-degree Miami, Florida. They were welcomed by windy, wintry conditions in Denver.

No problem.

The Dodgers batted around in a seven-run sixth inning, chasing Rockies starter Jeff Francis (0-3) and roughing up an already bruised Colorado bullpen.

Trailing 3-0 heading into the sixth, Matt Kemp ripped a first-pitch double to the wall in right-center field, scoring Juan Pierre from first. Francis, last season's ace for the defending National League champions, gave up a single to Russell Martin and walked James Loney to load the bases before getting pulled.

"(Francis has) had an inning that's been a little challenging for him every time out, and some things have gotten away," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "This inning was kind of smelling like that for me. We were one strike away from putting the inning away and then everything unraveled."

Reliever Ryan Speier recorded a strike out but then walked in a run. Blake DeWitt, batting for pitcher Brad Penny (5-2), slapped a groundball single up the middle to score Martin and Loney and give the Dodgers their first lead of the game, 4-3.

Furcal came to the plate to face another Rockies reliever, Josh Newman, and connected on a 1-0 pitch for a three-run homer and some needed insurance on the scoreboard.

"We had a lot of contributions tonight," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "Matt Kemp had a spectacular night, (Juan) Pierre, Furcal the job that (Russell) Martin did it was a good night all around."

The Rockies (11-18) have lost 10 of their last 12 games, a stretch that has seen an injury claim shortstop Troy Tulowitzki for at least a couple months, a pitching staff that can't hold a lead and an shakeup of the starting lineup.

But Colorado didn't go down in this one without a fight. Pinch hitter Scott Podsednik hit a two-run triple to make the score 7-5, and the Rockies loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh.

Dodgers reliever Joe Beimel ended the threat, allowing one run on a groundout by Matt Holliday before forcing Todd Helton into a double play to retain the lead.

Kemp clinched the game for Los Angeles with a three-run double in the eight inning.