Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) – Troy Tulowitzki tied a major league record with another sublime performance, going 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double and four RBI in the Rockies’ 12-2 drubbing of the Dodgers in the middle installment of a three-game series.
Tulowitzki’s 14 round-trippers over the last 15 games tied the major league mark held by Albert Belle (1995) and Barry Bonds (2001). He has a team-record 14 homers and 33 RBI in September with 11 games still remaining in the month.
Melvin Mora also filled the box score with four hits and five RBI, including a grand slam in a six-run eighth inning.
Colorado has won 13 of its last 15 games to pull within one game of the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants while staying 2 1/2 games behind the wild- card front-running Atlanta Braves.
The offensive barrage overshadowed Jhoulys Chacin (9-9), who won his fourth straight decision after scattering nine hits over eight scoreless innings.
John Ely (4-8) was tagged for six runs on five hits and five walks over 4 1/3 frames in Los Angeles’ fourth straight loss.
Tulowitzki put Colorado on top immediately, as he followed Carlos Gonzalez’s two-out walk by hitting a 1-2 changeup over the left-field wall. It was the second straight game the shortstop staked the visitors to a 2-0 lead with an opening-inning homer.
Tulowitzki extended the Colorado cushion in the third by hitting a two-out double and scoring two batters later on Mora’s base hit to right.
Much like the first inning, Gonzalez worked a walk in the fifth in front of Tulowitzki, who took the first pitch he saw to center for his 14th home run in September, more than twice his total coming into the month (12).
Ely was pulled after walking Todd Helton, and Ryan Spilborghs made it 6-0 by scoring the runner on a base hit to right off Ramon Troncoso.
LA had the bases loaded in the fifth inning only to have Ryan Theriot ground into an 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
Jeff Weaver gave up six runs in the eighth to let the game get out of hand. Clint Barmes hit an RBI single and Helton walked with the bases loaded to force in a run before Mora belted his fifth career grand slam and second this year.
Russ Mitchell’s two-run homer off Franklin Morales in the bottom of the ninth spoiled Colorado’s shutout bid.
Colorado’s previous record for most home runs in a month was 12, set by five different players…Colorado clinched its first winning series in LA since August 19-21, 2008. The Dodgers had won five straight series overall against their division rival…Before the game, the teams engaged in a trade with Colorado landing reliever Octavio Dotel and cash in exchange for a player to be named later…Spilborghs extended his hit streak to 12 games…A.J. Ellis had three hits for LA.