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Francis shuts down Dodgers, ends Rockies' eight-game skid

Jun 4, 2008 - 6:58 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- On a night that will be remembered for the frustration of two National League West Division rivals, Jeff Francis reminded everyone how he was able to win 17 games last season.

Francis tossed seven stellar innings Tuesday, snapping the Colorado Rockies' eight-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers that was punctuated by a late bench-clearing brawl.

"(Francis') fastball and curveball were his weapons tonight. He got some strikes and outs inside," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "In the third and fourth inning, he stranded runners and made pitches and was very aggressive. We needed to establish some momentum and we played a complete game tonight. It's a much better feeling out there, and it lightened the load."

Francis (2-5), who won for just the second time in 12 starts this season, allowed four hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

"I had a good game, I've just got to go out and do it again," Francis said. "I had some good movement on the ball and kept the ball on the ground, got them to mishit the ball, and the guys played tremendous defense behind me."

However, Tuesday's game figures to be remembered as one in which Los Angeles' Matt Kemp, who finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, let his frustrations get the best of him.

After Kemp swung and missed at a curveball in the dirt from reliever Taylor Buchholz for a third strike in the eighth, the blocked ball rolled into the baseline as Kemp attempted to run toward first. Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba bumped into Kemp in his pursuit of the loose ball.

Kemp turned to confront Torrealba, giving him a push as he appeared unclear as to why the catcher was even near him.

Torrealba followed with a two-handed push up near Kemp's neck, inciting both benches to clear. Kemp and Torrealba wrestled each other to the ground, but order quickly was restored without any further incidents.

Kemp and Torrealba both were ejected.

"I think Torrealba was frustrated, pushed (Kemp), who pushed him back," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "I don't think it was anything more than the heat of the game. It's just an intense moment, it wasn't planned."

"There was a lot of frustration. It was pretty stupid and not a good decision on my part," Kemp said. "There's no excuse to act like that. I think you should show that with your bat and not with your fists."

Chris Iannetta - Torrealba's replacement - hit a solo homer on the first pitch after the brawl to account for the game's final run.

"I just saw the pitch and swung, that's all that happened," Iannetta said. "I think there was some frustration behind (the fight), but it was a big win. Hopefully, we can turn some things around and get some wins in a row."

After Buchholz pitched a perfect eighth, closer Brian Fuentes worked around two-out hits by James Loney and Delwyn Young to notch his seventh save in 10 chances.

Colorado provided Francis all the support he needed with two runs in the third off Brad Penny (5-7). Scott Podsednik drove in Omar Quintanilla with a sacrifice fly and Todd Helton added an RBI single three batters later.

Penny suffered his first loss in his last 11 decisions against the Rockies.

"I felt better, I threw the ball better and my splitter was working," Penny said. "It's tough to get runs when (Francis) is pitching like that."