(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Dodgers still have their sights set on a postseason berth and will try to continue the charge tonight against the NL West-rival Colorado Rockies in the second installment of a three-game series at Coors Field.
The Dodgers are tied with Colorado at 4 1/2 games off the wild card lead in the National League and posted their fourth straight win with Friday's 6-2 triumph in the series opener. Casey Blake clubbed a grand slam during a five- run eighth inning and Andre Ethier added an RBI double in the frame for LA.
"I knew it was deep enough to score a run, and then I figured it was going to get over [Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler's] head and it just kept going," recalled Blake of the game-winner.
Los Angeles got six innings of one-run ball and six K's out of starter Clayton Kershaw in the no-decision. Jonathan Broxton was in the set-up role and earned the win even though he allowed one run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings. Hong-Chih Kuo has been getting more comfortable with his new closer position and posted his sixth save with 1 1/3 shutout innings and two strikeouts.
Chad Billingsley will take the hill tonight and had a start pushed back because of a calf injury. He last took the mound in an 8-5 win over Cincinnati last Saturday and was reached for three runs in 5 2/3 innings to improve to 10-7 with a 3.70 earned run average in 24 starts.
The right-hander has won at least 10 starts in four straight seasons, but is only 2-3 in 10 career appearances (8 starts) against the Rockies.
Colorado had a four-game winning streak come to an end with Friday's loss, as NL Cy Young candidate Ubaldo Jimenez was dealt the defeat for allowing three runs and nine hits through seven innings. Jimenez is winless in his last four starts (0-3) and has yielded at least three runs in each of the past three. He is still trying to become the first Rockies hurler with 18 wins in a season.
"I don't think about No. 18. I just try to go out there and keep the score close to give my team a chance to win," he said on the club's site. "I don't worry about No. 18. I want to win, but I don't put any number in my head."
Todd Helton homered and Melvin Mora ended with two hits and an RBI for the Rockies, who will send Jhoulys Chacin to the mound Saturday. Chacin won his last start on Sunday at Arizona, tossing 7 2/3 shutout innings with nine strikeouts to end a lengthy winless drought. He was 0-2 in his last seven appearances and won for the first time since July 2.
Chacin, a right-hander, is 1-2 in four career games, three of which have been starts, against the Dodgers. He just lost to them on August 17 at Chavez Ravine, where he permitted five runs and five hits in five innings.
Los Angeles has won seven of 10 meetings with Colorado this season and 21 of the last 28 contests in this series.