Dodgers pile up hits, not runs in loss to Rockies

Corey Dickerson homered, tripled and drove in four to led the Rockies over the Dodgers 10-4 on Tuesday night at Coors Field in Denver.

It was a weird night in Denver, not a typical contest one might call a Coors Field game, though Dickerson's home run against Dan Haren in the fourth inning was more a high fly ball that seemed to just keep carrying.

Haren wasn't exactly bad, but he wasn't very good either, allowing five runs in his five innings. He also struck out five, adding to his bizarre year in Denver.  In 10 innings at Coors Field this season, Haren has 13 strikeouts but also allowed 13 runs.

It would be easy to lay some blame on Yasiel Puig, who helped a run score in the first inning with an ill-advised throw to third base, allowing Josh Rutledge to advance into scoring position. Puig also struck out looking twice, with a total of five runners on base.

But Puig was understandably unhappy with the strike-three calls, especially in the sixth inning, which was in the same spot Haren hit with Charlie Culberson in the first inning, only then it was called ball four.

But more importantly, Puig snapped out of his power drought with a two-run home run to right field in the ninth inning, his first long ball since July 31. Puig went 165 plate appearances and 37 games in between home runs.

This was a game that saw Colorado take advantage of opportunities while the Dodgers mostly didn't. Five of the first seven runs scored by the Rockies came on two groundouts, a wild pitch and an errant throw.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers put up 16 hits, just rarely sequenced in the right order to score more than the four runs. They even had a rare moment with Justin Turner getting thrown out a home from second on a double.

With the loss, the Dodgers saw their three-game winning streak snapped, and their division lead lowering back to three games, with the Giants win over the Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

On the flip side, Daniel Coulombe made his major league debut on the day he was called up, and pitched a perfect seventh inning, including a  strikeout of former Dodgers farmhand Rafael Ynoa.

Up next

The Dodgers go for another series win in Colorado, sending Carlos Frias to the mound in Wednesday afternoon's getaway day finale, a noon PT start. Jorge De La Rosa starts for the Rockies.

Hanley Ramirez, who was scratched with a right elbow strain but struck out as a pinch hitter on Tuesday, could miss the series finale as well.

Mattingly didn't sound optimistic Hanley would be able to start tomorrow's day game

— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) September 17, 2014

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: Yasiel Puig (14); Corey Dickerson (23)

WP - Tyler Matzek (6-10): 5⅓ IP, 11 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts

LP - Dan Haren (13-11): 5 IP, 4 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts