Dodgers buried from the start against Rockies

Hyun-jin Ryu was activated from the disabled list on Thursday, but just didn’t have it. He was battered in the worst start of his career as the Rockies held on for a 10-7 win over the Dodgers in the opener of a four-game series at Coors Field.

Ryu tried to work around a walk and a single in the first inning, but Ian Desmond doubled home two to get the scoring started.

In the second inning, the Rockies got two more two-run doubles, by Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez, and nearly had another RBI double by Mark Reynolds, who hit a ball off the wall in right field but had to settle for an RBI single.

That gave the Rockies a 7-0 lead after two innings, with all seven runs scoring with two outs.

Asked to give the Dodgers some length instead of just two innings, Ryu remained in the game to allow three more runs, these coming in the fourth and with one out, not two.

In all, Ryu allowed a career-worst 10 runs, the first Dodgers pitcher to do so since Carlos Frias on May 24, 2015.

He also walked six batters — one was intentional — just the third time in his career he has walked more than three in a game, and the first time since 2013.

One of the things Ryu has been exceptional at throughout in his career is thwarting the running game. Before Thursday, he allowed three stolen bases in a shockingly low seven attempts in his 62 career starts. Mark Reynolds, who stole 24 bases back in 2009 but was 12-for-23 in steal attempts since the start of 2012, naturally stole a base off Ryu on Thursday.

It was not Ryu’s night.

Once down 10-0, the Dodgers clawed their way back to within four runs, and at the very least got the Rockies to use closer Greg Holland, who entered with two on and nobody out in the ninth inning, and the tying run on deck, a save situation.

One of those runs scored, and the Dodgers brought the tying run to the plate, but a Chase Utley double play and Yasiel Puig strikeout ended the game.

Notes

Ryu’s start ended an effective stretch for the Dodgers rotation. In their previous 16 games — including two starts from Ryu — Dodgers starters had a 2.23 ERA in 97 innings.

Scott Van Slyke homered in the fifth inning while pinch-hitting for Ryu, giving the Dodgers their first run. Yasmani Grandal delivered a two-run double as a pinch-hitter in the eighth. Dodgers pinch-hitters in May are 11-for-14 (.786) with four doubles, a home run, and a walk.

Grandal has 10 hits in his last 15 at-bats, and has an extra-base hit in four straight games.

Utley was 3-for-5 with a triple on Thursday, his third straight game with an extra-base hit. He was 5-for-51 (.098) with one RBI in his first 24 games of the season, and in his last three games is 6-for-9 (.667) with three RBI.

Up next

Clayton Kershaw takes the mound on Friday night, another 5:40 p.m. PT start, with Tyler Chatwood starting for the Rockies.

Thursday particulars

Home run: Scott Van Slyke (2)

WP - Jeff Hoffman (1-0): 5⅓ IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts

LP - Hyun-jin Ryu (1-5): 4 IP, 8 hits, 10 runs (5 earned), 6 walks, 4 strikeouts

Sv - Greg Holland (15): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikeout