Dodgers Win 40th Game of the Season Thanks to Offensive Fireworks

Dodgers 10 17 0

Rockies 8 10 1

WP- Greinke (6-2)

LP- Chatwood (4-2)

S- Jansen (8)

HR- CarGo (23), Uribe (4), A. Gonzalez (12), Ramirez (7), Kemp (3)

Riding high from a thrilling win behind Clayton Kershaw on Tuesday, the Dodgers were looking to ride the momentum in to game two. Unfortunately Zack Greinke did not look sharp at all, and he allowed four runs and four walks in the first two innings of the game on Wednesday. Yet thanks to massive run support, Greinke came out with the win in the end. After Greinke’s disappointing start, the Dodgers come right back and scored four in the fourth thanks to a RBI single from A.J., a monster two-run blast by none other than Uribe, and a triple by Mark Ellis. Adrian Gonzalez jumped all over a Chatwood fastball in the fifth for a solo shot. Tyler Chatwood had yet to allow a homerun this season before this game versus the Dodgers.

Jul 3, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp (27) reacts after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Dodgers won 10-8. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Yasiel Puig gave us a huge scare when he hit the fence out in right field. No thanks to KCAL for constantly replaying Matt Kemp‘s horrific wall crash at Coors last season. Later we find out that Puig bruised his left hip, but x-rays were negative. He’s listed as day to day.

Jose Dominguez, the rookie, allowed two runs in the seventh to make it a close one-run game. The Dodgers were still sparkling in the top of the ninth, and Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp both homered to give the Dodgers a nice padded 10-7 lead. Hanley ended up with 4 hits and 3 runs on the night, Mark Ellis had 3 hits, and Matt Kemp had 2 hits and 2 RBIs. Things got sketchy once the bullpen took over, and after Dominguez’s troublesome inning, Paco had to come in to try to right things before they snowballed out of control which happens easily at Coors Field. Paco pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, but Kenley Jansen had to be brought in to try for the four-out save. Kenley allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth, but thanks to the extra padding by the Dodgers’ 10 runs and 17 hits (including 4 homeruns), the Dodgers were able to take the series after winning the first two against the Rockies. Here’s how the wild Wednesday went down…

Tyler Chatwood goes to work against the Dodgers in the top of the first, and he quickly retires Mark Ellis on a fly ball to center. Then here comes Mr. National League Player and Rookie of the Month for June. Yasiel Puig promptly strokes the ball to the gap in left center field, and he motors in to second with a double! Adrian Gonzalez grounds out to first, but Todd Helton flusters around a little. While Helton is throwing out Gonzo at first, Puig is busy scoring from second on the groundout! Wilin Rosario can’t catch the throw by Chatwood at home, and for some reason the pitcher draws the error. Hanley Ramirez then follows up with a single, and he has now extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Andre Ethier then proceeds to double a la Puig, and the Dodgers have totally flustered the Rockies here in the top of the first. Matt Kemp lines out to Corey Dickerson in center who bobbles the ball a little but is able to hold on to it for the third out. Dodgers ahead 1-0.

Zack Greinke gives back the run in the bottom half of the first on a two-out homerun by Carlos Gonzalez. Michael Cuddyer, who had his 27-game hitting streak snapped by Clayton Kershaw last night, singles. Hanley Ramirez makes a strong throw and Gonzo a nice pick to get Rosario out on a grounder to short to end the frame.

Chatwood retires the bottom of the Dodger lineup in order in the top of the second.

Todd Helton draws a lead-off walk in the home half of the second, and Jonathan Herrera doubles to center with one out. Chatwood grounds out to second, and Helton has to hold at third. Greinke walks Dickerson to load the bases up. DJ LeMahieu doubles a Greinke curveball to left field, and two runs score. 3-1 Rockies. Then they intentionally walk CarGo, and that’s the third free pass of the inning. Here comes the fourth… another walk to Cuddyer which brings in the fourth Colorado run. The inning mercifully ends as Greinke strikes out Rosario, but not before the Rockies plate three runs.

Mark Ellis opens the top of the third with a single. Puig goes too far, and he strikes out on a check swing. Gonzalez grounds in to an inning ending double play.

Notorious Dodger killer Todd Helton doubles to the gap in center to begin the bottom of the third. Mark Ellis snags a

Jul 3, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke (21) reacts during the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

line drive by Nolan Arenado, and Hanley Ramirez doubles up Helton at second as he runs across the bag for the 4-6 DP. Jonathan Herrera extends the inning with a single. Greinke is not fooling anyone tonight. Chatwood makes the third out with a pop-up to Hanley.

Hanley Ramirez singles for the second time to lead-off the fourth for the Dodgers. Dre hits a soft liner to short. Kemp flies out to center. With A.J. at bat, a wild pitch by Chatwood allows Hanley to take second. A.J. strokes a RBI single to center, and the Dodgers get one back. Then Juan Uribe proceeds to clobber a two-run homerun to left field! The Dodgers tie it up 4-4! Zack Greinke gets in on the action as he doubles to center. Mark Ellis gets in on the rally too, and he triples as the ball hits the corner of the wall and shoots past Cuddyer! The Dodgers take a 5-4 lead. Puig grounds out to second, but the Dodgers hang up four big runs on the board.

More walks in the bottom of the fourth as Dickerson takes first to lead-off. LeMahieu sacrifices Dickerson over to second. Greinke is able to strikeout CarGo. Cuddyer pops out to shallow right, and the Dodgers remain in the lead.

In the fifth, Adrian Gonzalez clobbers a Chatwood fastball for a huge homerun to right field. The Dodgers now lead by two, 6-4. Hanley and Dre both fly out. Kemp manages a two-out single. A.J. grounds in to a force out to end the inning.

Greinke allows yet another lead-off walk in the bottom of the fifth to Rosario. Todd Helton also walks. That’s Greinke’s 7th walk. Then there’s a huge scare as Yasiel Puig slams in to the wall as he catches a line drive hit by Arenado. There’s a delay as the trainers go out to check Puig. It seems like he hurt his leg. He stays in the game, but we all have a bad case of déjà vu as they keep showing the replay of Matt Kemp slamming in to the Coors Field wall last season. Herrera grounds in to a force out, and the Dodgers aren’t able to complete the double play thanks to Hanley. Rosario scores on the play, and it’s a one-run game. The inning finally ends as pinch-hitter Jordan Pacheco hits a comebacker to Greinke.

Tyler Chatwood pitched 5 innings while allowing 6 runs on 11 hits with 1 strikeout and no walks on 79 pitches.

Manny Corpas will replace Tyler Chatwood for the Rockies in the sixth inning. Skip Schumaker, pinch-hitting for Greinke, singles with one out. Mark Ellis singles with a bunt. A wild pitch allows the runners to move to second and third. Schumaker tags up on a fly ball by Puig for his first career sacrifice fly. 7-5 Dodgers.

In the bottom of the sixth, J.P. Howell will come in to pitch. Yasiel Puig is taken out of the game, and Ethier will move over to right field with Schumaker in left field. Howell strikes out Dickerson, and LeMahieu grounds out. CarGo strikes out, and Howell pitches a very nice 1-2-3 inning.

Adrian Gonzalez smashed a humongous homerun in the fifth inning. Photo: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Zack Greinke pitched 5 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts and 7 walks on 107 pitches.

Dickerson has no idea where a fly ball is that Hanley hits to center, and it humorously drops for a gift double. Another wild pitch gets by Rosario with Ethier at the plate, and Hanley takes third. Dre walks on four pitches. Hanley scores on a groundout by Kemp, and the Dodgers now have eight runs on the night. A.J. flies out. Uribe flies out, but the Dodgers tack on another run.

Young flame thrower Jose Dominguez will make his second appearance for the Dodgers in the bottom of the seventh. Michael Cuddyer draws another lead-off walk for the Rockies. Rosario hits a long single to the gap, and the Rockies have runners at first and third with nobody out. With Helton at-bat, a passed ball by A.J. allows Rosario to take second. Helton breaks his bat on a RBI ground out. 8-6. Arenado singles, and Rosario trots home. It’s now just a one-run game, 8-7. Don Mattingly will come in and make his patented double switch. Paco Rodriguez and Nick Punto will come in to the game. Herrera sacrifices the runners over, but Paco is able to throw out the speedy Herrera at first for the second out of the inning. Paco whiffs Yorvit Torrealba to end the inning and contain the damage to two runs.

We move to the eighth, and Wilton Lopez comes out of the Colorado bullpen in relief. Skip Schumaker leads off the frame with a double for his second hit since coming in to the game. MEllis sacrifices Schumaker to third. CarGo makes a diving catch to rob Nick Punto of a RBI. Schumaker is unable to score on that fearing CarGo’s strong arm. Josh Outman will come in to pitch to Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez flies out to CarGo, and the Dodgers fail to score.

Paco is still in for the bottom of the eighth. MEllis snags a line drive by Dickerson for the first out of the inning. LeMahieu flies out to shallow center. CarGo singles past the infield in to left field. Mattingly will make another double switch. Kenley Jansen and Jerry Hairston Jr. will come in this time. Kenley will be asked to get the elusive four-out save. Kenley induces a force out from Cuddyer to end the inning.

The Dodgers have saved their firework grand finale for the top of the ninth off Rex Brothers. Hanley Ramirez homers for his seventh of the season. Ethier grounds out. Then Matt Kemp homers (with a little help from Dickerson)! The Dodgers take a commanding 10-7 lead. Hairston goes deep, but his ball ends up being caught on the warning track.

Kenley Jansen now has a comfortable three-run lead for the bottom half of the ninth. Another lead-off walk is given

Yasiel Puig is checked out by trainers after crashing in to the wall while making a great catch. Photo: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

to Rosario, but Helton is retired on a deep fly ball for the first out. Arenado singles up the middle, and the Rockies plate a run after Rosario had gotten all the way to third on defensive indifference and Helton’s fly ball. Herrera flies out to Schumaker in left field, and the Rockies are down to their last out. Tyler Colvin pops out, and the Dodgers squeak out the win!

The Dodgers continue their perfect July as they improve to 40-43 on the season. Both San Francisco and San Diego lost on Wednesday, but Arizona won. The Dodgers are tied with Colorado at 2 1/2 games back.

Tomorrow the series finale will feature Chris Capuano who struggled mightily in his last outing. Jhoulys Chacin will try to squelch the Dodgers fireworks for the Rockies. The Dodgers are riding a four-game winning streak as they look to sweep the Rockies at home for the Fourth of July. Join us for the festivities tomorrow!