Kershaw, Dodgers Beat Rockies 6-1 In Rain-Shortened Game
DENVER (CBSLA.com/AP) — Hanley Ramirez homered, Clayton Kershaw struck out nine and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 6-1 Sunday in a game cut short by rain in the sixth inning.
The Dodgers broke open the game with four runs in the top of the sixth. The game was then delayed 1 hour, 35 minutes before it was called.
Matt Kemp had a triple and two RBIs for the Dodgers, who played without outfielder Yasiel Puig and second baseman Dee Gordon, both of whom sustained hip injuries Saturday.
It was the second day in a row Kemp tripled, after earning his first triple of the year on Saturday.
Chone Figgins singled and also scored a run filling in for Gordon at the top of the lineup.
Rain started falling in the second inning and was steady for the rest of the afternoon. The moisture appeared to affect Kershaw (5-2) when he faced Brandon Barnes in the bottom of the third. He threw one pitch high to the backstop and then bounced the next one in front of the plate.
In the middle of the fifth, lightning flashed and a loud clap of thunder sent fans scurrying for cover while Kershaw calmly warmed up on the mound. He worked a perfect bottom of the inning.
Kershaw struck out nine for the fourth consecutive game and fifth time this season.
Troy Tulowitzki homered and starter Jorge De La Rosa struggled through 5 1-3 innings, allowing five runs on four hits for the Rockies, who have lost nine of 10. He struck out a season-high eight but walked four, also a season high.
His troubles started right away when he walked the first two batters of the game and Kemp followed with a triple to make it 2-0.
De La Rosa struck out the side but needed 35 pitches to get out of the first inning.
He settled down and held the Dodgers to just a hit through five innings before running into trouble in the sixth.
Ramirez hit a 461-foot homer, his 10th, onto the concourse in left to make it 3-1, and then De La Rosa walked Adrian Gonzalez and Kemp.
Matt Belisle came on and struck out Scott Van Slyke before giving up a two-run double to Jamie Romak and an RBI single to Miguel Rojas to make it 6-1.
It was the first major league hits and RBIs for Romak and Rojas.
Tulowitzki jumped on a rare mistake by Kershaw, driving a 92 mph fastball 417 feet into the left field seats to make it 2-1 in the fourth. It was Tulowitzki's 17th home run and tied him with Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for the NL lead.
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