SB Nation Los Angeles - Dodgers Beat Rockies, Eliminate Colorado From Postseasonhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48949/la-fave.png2010-09-28T21:57:41-07:00http://losangeles.sbnation.com/rss/stream/14817392010-09-28T21:57:41-07:002010-09-28T21:57:41-07:00Clayton Kershaw Shut Down For Rest Of Season For Dodgers
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<p>After the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> were officially eliminated tonight, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> announced that <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> would not start tomorrow's series finale in Colorado. <span>Carlos Monasterios</span> will start instead of Kershaw. Manager Joe Torre said of Kershaw, "He's pitched enough innings," per a tweet from Dylan Hernandez of the <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/dylanohernandez/statuses/25854055229">Los Angeles Times</a>.</p>
<p>Kershaw, who has pitched a career-high 204 1/3 innings this season, is done for the season. He might not be the only Dodger starting pitcher adjusting his schedule this week. <span>Hiroki Kuroda</span>, who started and pitched 6 1/3 innings tonight, was originally scheduled to start the final game of the season, on Sunday at Dodger Stadium against Arizona. However, per <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/dylanohernandez/statuses/25854255409">Hernandez</a>:</p>
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<p>Kuroda's scheduled start in the series finale isn't set in stone. The decision is Kuroda's. "I have to see how my body feels," he said.</p>
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<p>Kuroda has 196 1/3 innings pitched this season, the most in his three-year career, and he has said this month that one of his goals was to pitch 200 innings. Perhaps Kuroda would start Sunday if he feels up to it, then depart once he pitches the required 3 2/3 innings to reach his goal.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-dodgers/2010/9/28/1718841/clayton-kershaw-los-angeles-dodgers-shut-down-rest-of-seasonEric Stephen2010-09-28T21:16:25-07:002010-09-28T21:16:25-07:00Blake Leads Home Run Barrage As Dodgers Beat Rockies, 9-7
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<p>Denver, CO (Sports Network) - <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/91/casey-blake">Casey Blake</a> hit two home runs, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/los-angeles-dodgers">Los Angeles Dodgers</a> out-slugged Colorado, 9-7, to officially eliminate the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/colorado-rockies">Rockies</a> from playoff contention.</p>
<p>Because the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/atlanta-braves">Braves</a> beat Florida earlier Tuesday, Colorado was eliminated from wild card contention with the loss. Additionally, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> were eliminated from the NL West race, because they cannot vault in front of both San Francisco and San Diego.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/888/matt-kemp">Matt Kemp</a> hit a two-run homer and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/890/james-loney">James Loney</a> added a solo shot for Los Angeles, which has won the first two games of this three-game set. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/883/rafael-furcal">Rafael Furcal</a> tripled twice and drove in two in the victory.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/490/todd-helton">Todd Helton</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/33098/dexter-fowler">Dexter Fowler</a> each hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning to tie the game, but Los Angeles pulled back ahead to send Colorado to its eighth loss in the last nine games.</p>
<p>Colorado got on the scoreboard first, thanks to Carlos Gonzalez's run-scoring single in the opening inning, but the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> took control with a five-run third.</p>
<p>After Hiroki Kuroda began the frame with a base hit, Furcal tripled to left, then scored when <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/36/melvin-mora">Melvin Mora</a> committed a throwing error during the next at- bat. Later, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/544/jeff-francis">Jeff Francis</a> left an 0-1 sinker over the heart of the plate, and Kemp blasted it to right-center field.</p>
<p>Francis left another pitch over the plate to the next batter, Blake, who put it over the left field wall to give the Dodgers a 5-1 lead.</p>
<p>The big inning forced Colorado to play catchup, and the Rockies got one of the runs back in the home third. Fowler tripled with one out, and Gonzalez's two- out single chased him home.</p>
<p>The score remained that way until the seventh, when Loney stepped into the batter's box against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/31314/esmil-rogers">Esmil Rogers</a> with two outs. Rogers threw an 0-1 fastball up and in, and Loney got around on the pitch to send it to right field for his 10th home run.</p>
<p>However, the Rockies used a pair of homers in the bottom half to even the game. Mora began the inning with a single, then scored when Helton got a 2-0 sinker in the zone and slugged it to right-center field.</p>
<p>That got Colorado within 6-4, and Kuroda was removed after walking <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/541/chris-iannetta">Chris Iannetta</a> with one out. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/31277/ronald-belisario">Ronald Belisario</a> (3-1) came in and retired one batter, but gave up a two-run homer to Fowler during the next at-bat.</p>
<p>But as quickly as the Rockies tied the game, the Dodgers re-gained the lead. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/33284/a-j-ellis">A.J. Ellis</a> opened the top of the eighth with a double off <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/344/octavio-dotel">Octavio Dotel</a> (3-4) before scoring on Furcal's one-out triple. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/891/andre-ethier">Andre Ethier</a> later hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Furcal for an 8-6 edge.</p>
<p>The Rockies staged another rally in the home half, loading the bases with two away. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/33286/kenley-jansen">Kenley Jansen</a> forced one run in when he walked Iannetta, but rebounded to strike out pinch-hitter <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/495/ryan-spilborghs">Ryan Spilborghs</a> to keep LA in front.</p>
<p>Blake restored the two-run cushion with a leadoff homer off <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/70/huston-street">Huston Street</a> in the ninth. Colorado had one last chance in the bottom half, which Fowler began with a single. But Jansen retired the next three batters, striking out <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/493/troy-tulowitzki">Troy Tulowitzki</a> to end the game.</p>
<p>Francis lasted three innings in his start, allowing the five runs (four earned) on six hits...Rogers gave up one run in four innings in relief of Francis...Jansen got his third save...Kuroda allowed five runs on six hits and one walk in 6 1/3 innings, and struck out six...With the victory, LA clinched the season series win. The Dodgers hold a 10-7 advantage with only Wednesday's series finale left.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-dodgers/2010/9/28/1718781/dodgers-9-rockies-7-casey-blake-matt-kemp-james-loney-four-home-runsEric Stephen2010-09-28T15:57:39-07:002010-09-28T15:57:39-07:00Dodgers At Rockies: Tonight's Lineups
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<p>Before the game today, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> announced their pitching rotation for the final weekend series at Dodger Stadium against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>. <span>Chad Billingsley</span> will pitch Friday, <span>Ted Lilly</span> will pitch Saturday, and <span>Hiroki Kuroda</span> will pitch Sunday.</p>
<p>Here are tonight's lineups from Coors Field:</p>
<p><b>Dodgers</b><br> Furcal SS<br> Theriot 2B<br> Ethier RF<br> Kemp CF<br> Blake 3B<br> Loney 1B<br> Johnson LF<br> Ellis C<br> Kuroda P</p>
<p><b> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a></b><br> Fowler CF<br> Nelson 2B<br> Cargo LF<br> Tulo SS<br> Mora 3B<br> Helton 1B<br> Smith RF<br> iannetta C<br> Francis P</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-dodgers/2010/9/28/1718211/dodgers-at-rockies-tonights-lineupsEric Stephen2010-09-28T12:49:23-07:002010-09-28T12:49:23-07:00Kuroda, Dodgers Look To Beat Rockies Again
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<p>(Sports Network) - With their already-slim playoff chances beginning to fade even further, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/colorado-rockies">Colorado Rockies</a> will attempt to get themselves back on track in tonight's clash with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/los-angeles-dodgers">Los Angeles Dodgers</a> from Coors Field.</p>
<p>Colorado had vaulted itself back into postseason contention by winning 13 times in a 15-game span from September 3-18, but losses in seven of the team's last eight contests have just about ended the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a>' hopes for a second straight playoff berth. The club trails Atlanta by 4 1/2 games for the lead in the National League Wild Card standings with only six to go in the regular season, and is five games back of front-running San Francisco for first place in the West Division.</p>
<p>The Rockies' latest setback took place in last night's opener of this three- game series, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> received eight outstanding innings from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/785/ted-lilly">Ted Lilly</a> and made an early lead stand up in a 3-1 triumph.</p>
<p>Lilly (9-12) was brilliant in ending a personal four-decision losing streak, with the midseason acquisition limiting Colorado to a run and four hits while striking out eight batters before turning the game over to <span>Hong-Chih Kuo</span>. The All-Star reliever promptly retired the side in order in the ninth to register his 11th save of the year.</p>
<p>"He commanded all his pitches," Rockies catcher <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/541/chris-iannetta">Chris Iannetta</a> said of Lilly. "He was ahead of most of the guys."</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/91/casey-blake">Casey Blake</a> went 3-for-4 for Los Angeles and gave his team a quick 2-0 advantage with a two-run single in the top of the first inning. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/33284/a-j-ellis">A.J. Ellis</a> added an RBI base hit in the ninth to help the Dodgers stop a two-game skid.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/537/ubaldo-jimenez">Ubaldo Jimenez</a> (19-8), seeking to become the first 20-game winner in Rockies history, pitched well but was outdueled by Lilly. The standout righty was reached for two runs on a pair of hits and walked two in the opening frame, but gave up only hit and two more walks over the remainder of his seven-inning stint.</p>
<p>"He's had an outstanding season. You want to see him get his 20th [win], but not against us," said Blake of Jimenez.</p>
<p>The Rockies turn to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/544/jeff-francis">Jeff Francis</a> tonight in hopes of staying alive in the playoff chase, while the struggling lefty will be trying to improve off a pair of lackluster outings in which he hasn't lasted more than 3 2/3 innings.</p>
<p>Francis returned from a month-long stay on the disabled list with a sore arm to throw 62 pitches in three innings against San Diego on September 13, permitting two runs and five hits and taking a loss in a 6-4 Colorado setback. He delivered a similar line in his follow-up start, surrendering three runs and six hits before exiting after 3 2/3 frames of a road defeat to Arizona on Thursday.</p>
<p>The native Canadian, who missed all of 2009 while recovering from shoulder surgery, has gone 4-6 with a 4.71 ERA in 18 starts this season and lost in his only 2010 encounter with the Dodgers. That took place at Coors Field on May 28, with Francis reached for five runs and a pair of homers in 5 1/3 innings.</p>
<p>In 15 lifetime starts against the Dodgers, Francis is 5-4 with a 3.05 ERA.</p>
<p>Los Angeles counters with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/31266/hiroki-kuroda">Hiroki Kuroda</a>, with the Japanese veteran seeking to avenge a loss at the hands of the Rockies earlier this month. The right-hander allowed five runs (three earned) in six innings during a 7-5 Colorado triumph at Dodger Stadium on September 17.</p>
<p>Kuroda bounced back strongly in his subsequent trip to the mound, yielding only one run and five hits over eight strong innings to defeat playoff-hopeful San Diego last Thursday. The effort lowered his ERA to 2.57 in 13 starts since the All-Star break.</p>
<p>The Rockies have been a problem for Kuroda ever since he left Japan for the major leagues prior to the 2008 campaign. The 35-year-old is 0-4 with a troublesome 6.25 ERA in seven career meetings with Colorado and has been tagged for 12 runs (10 earned) and 19 hits in just 10 innings in losing both of his previous Coors Field starts.</p>
<p>The Dodgers have won nine of 16 overall meetings with the Rockies so far this season, including four of seven games held in Denver. Colorado has prevailed in four of the last six matchups, however.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2010/9/28/2321729/kuroda-dodgers-look-to-beat-rockies-againEric Stephen