National League Game Summary - Colorado At Los Angeles
POSTED: 11:08 pm PDT August 20,
2008
Los Angeles, CA -- (Sports Network) - Brad Hawpe knocked in the go-ahead run in top of the ninth inning, as the Colorado Rockies rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3, in the middle test of a three-game series from Chavez Ravine. Hawpe finished 2-for-4 with a walk and drove in three runs for Colorado, which has won five games in a row to match its season-high. Troy Tulowitzki clubbed his fifth home run of the season. "Hits have been falling in for men," Hawpe said. "That's the key, hit them where they ain't." Jeff Francis allowed three runs -- one earned -- on nine hits and fanned four over six innings, but did not factor into the decision. The comeback made a winner out of Taylor Buchholz (6-3), who tossed a scoreless eighth. Russell Martin and Jeff Kent each had two hits for the Dodgers, who have lost three of their last four games to fall two games behind Arizona for first place in the NL West. The Diamondbacks posted an 8-6 win over San Diego on Wednesday. The Dodgers were done in by a season-high four errors. Chad Billingsley got a no-decision after he was tagged for two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks over six frames. Chan Ho Park pitched two innings and gave up an unearned run, while Jonathan Broxton (3-5) surrendered a run in the ninth to take the loss. "We gave away too much tonight," Los Angeles manager Joe Torre said. "Billingsley pitched his butt off, but we gave them too many outs." Broxton took over on the mound in the ninth and promptly drilled Matt Holliday on the left shoulder with a 97-mph fastball. Holliday then stole second, advanced to third when Danny Ardoin's throw skipped into the outfield and scored the go-ahead run on a single by Hawpe. In the home half, Brian Fuentes got Martin to fly out and fanned Ardoin and James Loney to notch his 24th save. Los Angeles got a run in the first. Juan Pierre led off the frame with a single, swiped second and Matt Kemp singled him home for a 1-0 advantage. Colorado looked to even the score in the second, but Kemp gunned down the potential tying run at the plate. Ian Stewart doubled to begin the inning and Francis slapped a two-out single to right field, but Kemp came up with a perfect throw to Ardoin, who applied the tag and maintained possession following the collision. The Dodgers picked up two more runs in their half of the second. Nomar Garciaparra had a leadoff single and Martin doubled down the left-field line with one away. Ardoin then hit a bouncer that Tulowitzki knocked down, but was unable to control as the ball rolled onto the outfield grass. The carom allowed the two runners to score for a 3-0 Dodgers lead. Tulowitzki's two-out blast in the fourth put Colorado on the board. The visitors then loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth on a double by Francis, a walk to Omar Quintanilla and a bunt single by Willy Taveras. After Holliday grounded into a fielder's choice, Hawpe reached first on Casey Blake's fielding error, plating Quintanilla. The Rockies were bidding for more, but Garrett Atkins grounded into a 5-2-3 double play to spoil the rally. With one gone in the seventh, Taveras reached base on Martin's throwing miscue and later scored on a Hawpe single for a 3-3 tie.Game Notes:The Dodgers committed four errors in a game for the first time since August 2005...Colorado has won six straight road contests...The Rockies left 11 men on base, while the Dodgers stranded six...The Rockies placed pitcher Matt Herges on the 15-day disabled list with lower back stiffness Wednesday and recalled pitcher Ryan Speier from Triple-A Colorado Springs...Colorado's Jorge De La Rosa (6-6) and Los Angeles' Derek Lowe (9-10) are scheduled to start the series finale on Thursday.
Copyright 2008 Courtesy of The Sports Network.







