Rockies Make Statement In 12-2 Rout Of Dodgers
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The first inning of Ted Lilly's second start of the season put the Dodgers in a deep hole, and Josh Wall found out how deep the hole could go.
Lilly and Wall gave up a combined 11 earned runs off 16 hits and the Rockies handled the Dodgers in implacable fashion with a 12-2 win at Dodger Stadium on Monday night.
Lilly gave up a home run, a double, a single, and another home run to tally up four earned runs before recording his first out of the game -- a deep fly ball by Michael Cuddyer that reached the warning track.
Los Angeles had an opportunity to reduce the deficit after back-to-back singles put runners on first and second with only one out, but in vintage Dodgers fashion, the club couldn't catch a break. Luis Cruz hit a hard liner directly back to Tyler Chatwood, who made an acrobatic catch on the mound and was able to double up Andre Ethier at second base.
Josh Wall came in relief of Lilly in the fourth inning, and the deficit promptly grew to 10-0.
Wall, who gave up four earned runs in 0.1 innings against the Mets last week, surrendered five earned runs off five hits and two walks in the fourth, including a 2-RBI single by Chatwood that scored both Cuddyer and rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado, who reached on the first hit of his career.
Arenado, who played ball at El Toro High School down the road in Lake Forest, would face Wall again in the fifth inning, and connected to hit his first career major league home run -- a 2-run shot to right center that made it 12-0.
Wall's ERA ballooned to an 18.00, as the Rockies, who loaded the bases four times before the end of the fourth inning, showed why they lead the National League in runs scored.
Even Skip Schumaker, who had played second base all night, was called on to pitch in the ninth inning, becoming the first position player to pitch for the Dodgers since Mark Loretta did it in 2009.
Jerry Hairston hit a 2-run homer to left in the seventh inning that represented the only runs for the Dodgers, who have spread four runs over their last two games.
The bigger treat for Dodger fans was that Hanley Ramirez got his first official plate appearance of the season, after being activated off the disabled list earlier on Monday.
Ramirez struck out, but the significance of the plate appearance was not in its result, but in its arrival.
His appearance is a good indication that Ramirez could be in the starting lineup on Tuesday, which is also his bobblehead giveaway night.
Ramirez, who hit .271 and provided 10 home runs and 44 RBI for the Dodgers in 64 games last season, could provide the offensive pop from the plate that the club has been needing so badly.
The Dodgers currently rank third in the National League in On Base Percentage at 0.330, but second-to-last in runs scored.
Ramirez, who went 3-for-6 while rehabbing at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, has the ability to both bring in and score runs.
And his bat could not come at a better time.
