Final
Dodgers try to continue dominance of Rockies
Apr 25, 2009 - 6:30 AM By Santosh Venkataraman Stats Senior WriterLA Dodgers (12-5) at Colorado (5-10) 8:10 p.m. EDT
DENVER (AP) -- A big reason why the Los Angeles Dodgers have yet to lose against the Colorado Rockies this season is the production they are getting from the top of their batting order.
The Dodgers look to improve to 5-0 versus the Rockies this season as the NL West clubs continue a three-game series Saturday night at Coors Field.
Los Angeles has rode the hot hitting of Rafael Furcal, Orlando Hudson and Manny Ramirez to win the first four meetings with Colorado this season. The Dodgers swept three from the Rockies last weekend at home and won 6-5 on Friday.
Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said before this series that the key to Los Angeles' offense was having switch-hitters Furcal and Hudson at the top of the lineup. He knows that from experience as Furcal is 6-for-15 and Hudson 6-for-14 against Colorado, and the duo has combined to score 10 runs in the four meetings.
It also helps to have Ramirez batting behind the table-setters. The Dodgers slugger is 8-for-16 with four runs scored and four RBIs against Colorado this year.
Los Angeles won Friday when Brad Ausmus drove in James Loney with a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning. Ramirez went 2-for-4 with an RBI single, giving him nine RBIs in his last seven games.
"This was a game that we spent a lot and we had to win," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "I'm just glad we did."
The Dodgers will also have Russell Martin back in the lineup Saturday after he received a scheduled day off. Martin is off to a slow start at .226, including 6-for-36 (.167) on the road.
"Right now, he's too intense," Torre told the Dodgers' official Web site. "But my observation is he's not trying to pull the ball. He's not swinging too hard. He'll fall into it. I'm not worried about him."
The Rockies, meanwhile, aren't getting enough out of cleanup hitter Garrett Atkins. The third baseman is 3-for-15 versus Los Angeles, and hitting .213 for the season.
"I haven't been striking out a lot," Atkins told the Rockies' official Web site. "I've put the ball in play. I figure the hits will start coming."
Rookie James McDonald (0-1, 5.87) makes his third career start for Los Angeles, and second straight against the Rockies. He pitched 4 1-3 scoreless innings Sunday, throwing 96 pitches in a 14-2 win.
"I wish I could have gone deeper into the game, but everything worked out fine," McDonald said. "I just have to put guys away after getting 0-2 against them instead of messing around."
McDonald allowed four hits Sunday. The 24-year-old right-hander is the Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year the past two seasons.
He will again be opposed by Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2, 6.00), who was charged with the loss Sunday after giving up seven runs and seven hits over 4 1-3 innings. Jimenez had been 4-0 with a 5.51 ERA in six previous starts versus the Dodgers.
"He didn't have that many weapons (Sunday)," Hurdle told the Rockies' official Web site. "He was all over. We'll have to revisit his mechanics. He didn't have command of any one pitch consistently."
- NL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
LA DODGERS 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 9 0
COLORADO 0 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 5 5 0 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: LOS - JAMES MCDONALD, RAMON TRONCOSO (6TH) AND RUSSELL MARTIN
COL - UBALDO JIMENEZ, GLENDON RUSCH (5TH), MATT DALEY
(7TH), ALAN EMBREE (8TH), MATT BELISLE (9TH) AND
Apr 25 11:20 PM - NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY GARRETT ATKINS (3) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 5TH OFF JAMES MCDONALD SCORED TODD HELTON.
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 6, COLORADO 5
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: B HAWPE (.320, 2-FOR-2, 2 RBI)
Dodgers 6, Rockies 5 Bot 5, 0 OutsApr 25 9:56 PM - NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY RUSSELL MARTIN SCORED ORLANDO HUDSON AND ANDRE
ETHIER.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, R MARTIN ON FIRST, J LONEY ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 6
COLORADO 3 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR LA DODGERS: M KEMP (.344, 1-FOR-1, HBP)
Dodgers 6, Rockies 3 Top 4, 0 OutsApr 25 9:34 PM - NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY BRAD HAWPE SCORED DEXTER FOWLER AND SETH SMITH.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, B HAWPE ON FIRST, G ATKINS ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 4
COLORADO 3 BOTTOM, 3RD
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: T TULOWITZKI (.188, 0-FOR-1)
Dodgers 4, Rockies 3 Bot 3, 0 OutsApr 25 9:19 PM - NL
AT COLORADO - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY SETH SMITH SCORED UBALDO JIMENEZ.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, S SMITH ON FIRST, D FOWLER ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 4
COLORADO 1 BOTTOM, 3RD
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: T HELTON (.264, 0-FOR-1)
Dodgers 4, Rockies 1 Bot 3, 0 OutsApr 25 9:12 PM - NL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
LA DODGERS 4 4 6 0
COLORADO 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: LOS - JAMES MCDONALD
COL - UBALDO JIMENEZ
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: D FOWLER (.262, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
S SMITH (.231, 2 HR, 3 RBI)
T HELTON (.269, 1 HR, 9 RBI)
Dodgers 4, Rockies 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 25 8:30 PM
Related News
- When Clayton Kershaw was Shohei Ohtani for a day Dec 26
- Tuesday Rockpile: What did the Rockies get in trading for Cal Quantrill? Dec 26
- 2023 review: Andre Jackson Dec 25
- Notes: Shohei Ohtani, Joe Kelly, Walker Buehler, Manuel Margot Dec 25
- Monday Rockpile: What’s under the tree for Rockies’ fans this Christmas? Dec 25
- 2023 review: Yonny Hernández Dec 24
- Dodgers will pay $19.4 million luxury tax for 2023 Dec 23
- 2023 review: Phil Bickford Dec 23
- This Week in Purple: Happy Holidays! Dec 23
- Reactions to Yamamoto signing with Dodgers Dec 23
- Shelby Miller signs with Tigers Dec 22
- 2023 review: Justin Bruihl Dec 22