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Lowe, Loney propel Dodgers over Rockies

Aug 21, 2008 - 11:22 PM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The last time Derek Lowe left the game with a lead, his bullpen immediately squandered it and the Los Angeles Dodgers fell in extra innings.

Lowe pitched 6 1/3 innings Thursday afternoon and a pair of relievers preserved his lead as the Dodgers salvaged the third game of their series against the Colorado Rockies with a 3-1 victory.

Lowe (10-10) allowed one run, four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts before departing with one out and one runner on in the seventh.

"I definitely felt like I had my stuff working for me today," Lowe said. "I just keep going out and pitching my game and keeping us in games and giving us a shot to win."

Hong Chih-Kuo, who gave up a go-ahead two-run homer to J.J. Hardy on Saturday the last time Lowe took the hill, shut down the Rockies in the seventh and eighth. Jonathan Broxton, who took the loss in Saturday's 4-3 loss to Milwaukee, worked the ninth for his 10th save.

"This was a game we needed to win in order to head off on the road on a high note," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "(Broxton) came in and gave up a hit but settled down to strike out the next three batters."

The Dodgers (65-62), who entered Thursday two games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West, snapped the Rockies' five-game winning streak and closed out their homestand at 3-3.

"We just have to keep going out there and playing the type of baseball we know how to play and we should be OK," Lowe said.

James Loney drove in a pair of runs, including his 10th home run of the season, to pace an offense that managed just nine total runs in this series.

"I have been struggling a little lately and it's a good feeling knowing that I helped the team pull out a win today," Loney said.

With Los Angeles down, 1-0, in the fifth, Manny Ramirez reached on an error by Colorado third baseman Ian Stewart and uncharacteristically stole second base. That proved to be the difference, as the mercurial slugger scored two batters later on Loney's opposite-field single, tying the game at 1-1.

After Matt Kemp legged out a double on a soft grounder to left field in the sixth and scored on Andre Ethier's single, Loney gave the Dodgers a bit of breathing room one inning later. The 6-3, 220-pound first baseman greeted Colorado reliever Luis Vizcaino with a deep drive over the right field seats. It was his first homer since July 27.

"At first, I didn't know where my ball went, but I knew I hit it good and just got enough on it for a home run," Loney said.

Despite the two-run lead, the Dodgers still had to rely on their bullpen, which had blown late leads in three of the last four games.

Kuo came into the game with a 45.00 ERA in his last two outings and Broxton, who assumed the closer's role after Takashi Saito suffered a right elbow strain, had taken losses in each of his last two appearances.

But Kuo returned to form with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out two, while Broxton struck out the side to work around a leadoff double by Stewart.

"Our guys did the job today, bottom line," Dodgers catcher Russell Martin said. "We haven't been as sharp from the bullpen lately, but that's just baseball and they will bounce back and give us a lift."

Jorge De La Rosa (6-7) took the loss despite pitching well, giving up just one earned run in six innings.

"(De La Rosa) pitched a terrific ballgame for us today," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We couldn't ask for anything more from him, because when it comes down to it he gave us a good chance to win and get the sweep, but just made mistakes that they took advantage of today."

Matt Holliday provided the only offense for the Rockies with a sacrifice fly in the first inning.