Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Los Angeles loaded the bases in the first inning. Rafael Furcal singled to begin the game and Ryan Theriot walked. After the next two batters were retired, Matt Kemp walked and Casey Blake hit a grounder up the middle that caromed off Jimenez and over the head of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Furcal and Theriot scored on the play. Jimenez then fanned Trent Oeltjen to end the inning.
Having cut their deficit in half on Gonzalez's 34th home run of the season, the Rockies threatened in the fifth. Todd Helton led off with a double, and Jonathan Herrera's one-out walk preceded a sacrifice bunt from Jimenez. Lilly induced a ground ball by Eric Young Jr. to escape unscathed.
A.J. Ellis singled home Blake in the ninth to extend the Dodgers' lead to 3-1.
Hong-Chih Kuo was perfect in the bottom of the inning to earn his 11th save. Kuo has allowed eight runs in 57 innings this season for an ERA of 1.26. If he pitches three more scoreless innings this season, Kuo will have the lowest ERA in the 127-year franchise history of the Dodgers (minimum 50 innings). Three more innings would lower Kuo's ERA to 1.200, slightly lower than Eric Gagne's 1.202 ERA in 2003.
Blake had three hits...Helton was 2-for-2 with a walk...Lilly hadn't lost five straight decisions since pitching for the New York Yankees in 2001...Jimenez has a career-high 204 strikeouts, six shy of tying the Rockies' single season record set by Pedro Astacio in 1999...The Rockies announced Jason Giambi is likely done for the season with a strained left biceps.