Josh Beckett goes short, Dodgers lose long one, 7-3

Josh Beckett had his shortest outing of what is becoming an increasingly mediocre season on Wednesday night as the Dodgers, unable to turn the page from a so-so April, fell 7-3 to the Rockies at Dodger Stadium in their first game of May.

Adrian Gonzalez hit a towering home run down the right field line in the first inning, scoring Hanley Ramirez to pull the Dodgers to within 3-2. Gonzalez nearly added another home run, launching a ball over the wall in left center field in the third inning with two runners on, but Dexter Fowler reached over the fence to rob Gonzalez of a three-run home run that would have given the Dodgers a 5-3 lead at the time.

The Dodgers settled for the tying run in the third inning, but Colorado answered with two more runs off Beckett in the fourth inning, both scoring on a double by Carlos Gonzalez.

The fourth inning was the final frame on Wednesday for Beckett, who is getting further removed from his stellar outing on Apr. 14 in Arizona, in what has really been his only good start out of six.

The positives for Beckett on Wednesday were his six strikeouts, second most for him on the season, and no home runs allowed, just the second time he did that. But his four innings pitched made for his shortest start of the year, and in his last three starts he has allowed 14 runs in 15 innings. His ERA stands at 5.24.

The game stayed 5-3 until the seventh inning, when the Rockies scored two runs against Kenley Jansen and Ronald Belisario to essentially put the game away.

After the third inning, the Dodgers managed just three hits and a walk, and no runs, with five strikeouts.

Notes

• The Dodgers fell to a putrid 5-10 against the National League West this season, and have lost four of their five series against divisional foes. They have been outscored 74-42 in games against the NL West, including 51-25 at Dodger Stadium, where they are 2-7 against the division.
• Ramirez went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in his second start of the season, and also made his first error at shortstop.
  
• Belisario entered the game in the seventh inning with a runner on second base and one out, a runner who eventually scored against Jansen's ledger. Belisario has allowed eight of 10 inherited runners to score this season.
• Javy Guerra, recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday, became the 19th pitcher for the Dodgers this season when he entered the game in the ninth inning.
• The six doubles hit by the Rockies are a season high against the Dodgers this season.
• Beckett has allowed a team-high nine doubles this season, including three on Wednesday.
• After missing two games with a left shoulder contusion, Tulowitzki went 2-for-4 for the Rockies with a double, a walk, a run scored, and two runs batted in.
  

Up next

The Dodgers have Thursday off but open a three-game series against the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Friday night. Clayton Kershaw rejoins the team to start Friday's opener, against fellow southpaw and fellow former Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito.

Wednesday's particulars

Home runs: Adrian Gonzalez (3)

WP - Josh Outman (1-0): 2 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikeout

LP - Josh Beckett (0-4): 4 IP, 5 hits, 5 runs (4 earned runs), 3 walks, 6 strikeouts