Matt Kemp was scratched tonight with a tight left hamstring, but hit a mammoth pinch hit home run over the bleachers in left field in the ninth inning, extending his consecutive games played streak to 269 games, the longest active streak in MLB. Unfortunately, the Dodgers also extended a streak tonight, their losing streak, which is now at three games after a 6-5 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field.
Colorado led 6-0 entering the ninth inning, and the Dodgers somehow scored four runs after the Kemp solo home run, even putting the tying run on base with two outs. They were helped by an error from Chris Nelson, on a ground ball that would have ended the game at 6-1. But Trent Oeltjen stuck out to end the rally, and the game.
Chad Billingsley was terrible Friday night, getting hit all over the yard. He got through four innings allowing only one run, though he allowed six hits, including two doubles and a home run to Troy Tulowitzki. Then in the fifth, Billingsley imploded, giving up seven hits, including six straight at one point, to put the game away.
The 13 hits given up by Billingsley set a new career high. The previous high for Billingsley was 11 hits allowed, which he did two starts ago, though he only allowed one run in that contest. The Dodgers are now 0-4 at Coors Field this season, with all four starts by Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw. Like Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier on offense, the pitching staff is screwed if Billingsley and Kershaw don't produce.
Jhoulys Chacin pitched eight shutout innings for the win, and has allowed no runs in 15 innings against the Dodgers this season, all at Coors Field. Chacin has made eight career starts against the Dodgers, and half of them have been scoreless efforts of at least seven innings.
Notes
- Kemp has six home runs in his last seven days, and he is hitting .517/.588/1.276 on the road trip, with 13 RBI in eight games
- The second longest active consecutive games played streak in MLB belonged to Ichiro Suzuki, who had 255 straight games but was given a night off Friday as he is hitting .189/.245/.224 since May 1
- Dee Gordon was a bright spot tonight with a pair of singles, and he has at least two hits in three of his four starts.
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Dioner Navarro was 0-for-4 tonight, and both he and fellow catcher Rod Barajas are a combined 5-for-39 in June, hitting .128/.150/.154
- The Dodgers signed their second-round draft pick, high school third baseman Alex Santana (son of former Mets' shortstop Rafael Santana) for $500,000, per Tony Jackson of ESPN LA.
- Jackson also notes that Hong-Chih Kuo will pitch a second rehab game for Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday, attempting to enter the game in the middle of an inning with runners on base.
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Kenley Jansen, who is eligible to come off the disabled list on Monday, will pitch a second rehab game on Saturday for Double A Chattanooga, per Joe Block of KABC.
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Jay Gibbons accepted his assignment to Triple A Albuquerque, per Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.
- Ted Lilly looks to snap the three-game losing streak Saturday night against Jason Hammel
WP - Jhoulys Chacin (7-4): 8 IP, 3 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
LP - Chad Billingsley (5-5): 4 2/3 IP, 13 hits, 6 runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Sv - Huston Street (19): 1/3 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 strikeout