DENVER -- Starter Jon Gray pretended he was closing out the first inning.
Anything to avoid a pattern of early game hiccups.
That particular approach served him well, too, with Gray pitching six scoreless innings to help the Colorado Rockies beat the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1 on a gusty Monday night.
Gray (9-6) surrendered four hits and struck out eight in a crisp performance for his first win since Aug. 2.
"I feel like sometimes you can out-aggressive people. I like to do that," Gray said. "Bring a little intensity and cruise from there."
Gray started strong, which hasn't always been the case this season. Of the 72 runs he has allowed, 34 have been scored in the opening two innings.
In this game, not even a third-inning downpour could interrupt his concentration.
Gray ran into trouble in the fifth with two on and one out. Adrian Gonzalez sent a sinking liner to center that Charlie Blackmon hauled in as he slid on the slick grass. Gray pointed his glove toward the centerfielder in appreciation.
"That was awesome," Gray said. "That really helped me out a lot."
DJ LeMahieu had a two-run double in a five-run seventh that turned a pitching duel into a rout.
Kenta Maeda (13-8) was electric once again at Coors Field -- except for a hanging slider that Nick Hundley hit for a two-run homer in the fourth. The right-hander with the quirky delivery allowed four hits over five innings. Maeda has a 2.12 ERA in three starts at the hitter friendly park.
"Overall, I thought I pitched pretty well," Maeda said through a translator. "It was that one pitch which was a slider inside that was definitely a mistake pitch."
The Dodgers had a momentary scare when All-Star rookie shortstop Corey Seager was hit in the left hand by a pitch from Chris Rusin in the seventh. He appeared to be in quite a bit of pain as he made his way to first base, but remained in the game. Seager was hit earlier in the game. The team said X-rays were negative.
Seager won't play Tuesday, but that was already planned.
"It always hurts when you get hit," said Seager, whose team finished with five hits. "You're glad it's not broken and you move on."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (mild disk irritation) will face hitters in a simulated game on Tuesday in Los Angeles. A minor-league start may be the next step in his rehabilitation. "We have a couple different scenarios. So, depending on how he comes out of it, we'll make a decision," manager Dave Roberts explained.
Rockies: INF Mark Reynolds (broken bone in left hand) could return before the end of the season. "There's a lot still out in front of him that he has to be able to do before he gets into a game," manager Walt Weiss said.
FANTASY DRAFT
Roberts has a new player on his team -- Julio Jones, the game-changing receiver of the Atlanta Falcons. Jones may not help the Dodgers win the NL West, but could lift Roberts and his team to a fantasy football title.
The Dodgers held their league draft in Denver on Sunday. Roberts is the silent partner on a squad co-owned by Justin Turner and Brandon McCarthy. They took Jones with the No. 2 overall pick.
THIS & THAT
Last week, Maeda was optioned to the Arizona League Dodgers to free up roster space. He was recalled Monday and the team optioned right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart to Double-A Tulsa. ... Weiss said there won't be any conversations about a new contract until after the season. The fourth-year manager is in the final year of his deal. ... Pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson broke up the shutout in the ninth with an RBI groundout that brought in Andrew Toles, who tripled.
SOUVENIR
The crowd gave Colorado pinch-hitter Stephen Cardullo a standing ovation after his first major league hit in the eighth. Cardullo, who turns 29 on Wednesday, was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque last week. He plans to give the ball to his dad.
"Just a great feeling," Cardullo said.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: LHP Rich Hill (10-3) makes his first start at Coors Field since April 23, 2008, while with the Chicago Cubs.
Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (4-5) is 4-1 with a 3.45 ERA at Coors Field this season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Anything to avoid a pattern of early game hiccups.
That particular approach served him well, too, with Gray pitching six scoreless innings to help the Colorado Rockies beat the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1 on a gusty Monday night.
Gray (9-6) surrendered four hits and struck out eight in a crisp performance for his first win since Aug. 2.
"I feel like sometimes you can out-aggressive people. I like to do that," Gray said. "Bring a little intensity and cruise from there."
Gray started strong, which hasn't always been the case this season. Of the 72 runs he has allowed, 34 have been scored in the opening two innings.
In this game, not even a third-inning downpour could interrupt his concentration.
Gray ran into trouble in the fifth with two on and one out. Adrian Gonzalez sent a sinking liner to center that Charlie Blackmon hauled in as he slid on the slick grass. Gray pointed his glove toward the centerfielder in appreciation.
"That was awesome," Gray said. "That really helped me out a lot."
DJ LeMahieu had a two-run double in a five-run seventh that turned a pitching duel into a rout.
Kenta Maeda (13-8) was electric once again at Coors Field -- except for a hanging slider that Nick Hundley hit for a two-run homer in the fourth. The right-hander with the quirky delivery allowed four hits over five innings. Maeda has a 2.12 ERA in three starts at the hitter friendly park.
"Overall, I thought I pitched pretty well," Maeda said through a translator. "It was that one pitch which was a slider inside that was definitely a mistake pitch."
The Dodgers had a momentary scare when All-Star rookie shortstop Corey Seager was hit in the left hand by a pitch from Chris Rusin in the seventh. He appeared to be in quite a bit of pain as he made his way to first base, but remained in the game. Seager was hit earlier in the game. The team said X-rays were negative.
Seager won't play Tuesday, but that was already planned.
"It always hurts when you get hit," said Seager, whose team finished with five hits. "You're glad it's not broken and you move on."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (mild disk irritation) will face hitters in a simulated game on Tuesday in Los Angeles. A minor-league start may be the next step in his rehabilitation. "We have a couple different scenarios. So, depending on how he comes out of it, we'll make a decision," manager Dave Roberts explained.
Rockies: INF Mark Reynolds (broken bone in left hand) could return before the end of the season. "There's a lot still out in front of him that he has to be able to do before he gets into a game," manager Walt Weiss said.
FANTASY DRAFT
Roberts has a new player on his team -- Julio Jones, the game-changing receiver of the Atlanta Falcons. Jones may not help the Dodgers win the NL West, but could lift Roberts and his team to a fantasy football title.
The Dodgers held their league draft in Denver on Sunday. Roberts is the silent partner on a squad co-owned by Justin Turner and Brandon McCarthy. They took Jones with the No. 2 overall pick.
THIS & THAT
Last week, Maeda was optioned to the Arizona League Dodgers to free up roster space. He was recalled Monday and the team optioned right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart to Double-A Tulsa. ... Weiss said there won't be any conversations about a new contract until after the season. The fourth-year manager is in the final year of his deal. ... Pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson broke up the shutout in the ninth with an RBI groundout that brought in Andrew Toles, who tripled.
SOUVENIR
The crowd gave Colorado pinch-hitter Stephen Cardullo a standing ovation after his first major league hit in the eighth. Cardullo, who turns 29 on Wednesday, was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque last week. He plans to give the ball to his dad.
"Just a great feeling," Cardullo said.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: LHP Rich Hill (10-3) makes his first start at Coors Field since April 23, 2008, while with the Chicago Cubs.
Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (4-5) is 4-1 with a 3.45 ERA at Coors Field this season.
| View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-Pitch | Inning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Los Angeles - Top of 1st | SCORE | |
|---|---|---|
| Jon Gray pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Utley singled to right. | 0 | 0 |
| Kendrick grounded out to pitcher. | 0 | 0 |
| Seager walked, Utley to second. | 0 | 0 |
| González struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Grandal struck out looking. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 1st | SCORE | |
| Kenta Maeda pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Blackmon grounded out to first. | 0 | 0 |
| LeMahieu singled to left center. | 0 | 0 |
| González walked, LeMahieu to second. | 0 | 0 |
| Arenado struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Dahl lined out to left. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Jon Gray pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Reddick grounded out to second. | 0 | 0 |
| Pederson struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Segedin singled to left. | 0 | 0 |
| Maeda struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Kenta Maeda pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Parra struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Hundley struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Descalso grounded out to second. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Jon Gray pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Utley grounded out to second. | 0 | 0 |
| Kendrick walked. | 0 | 0 |
| Seager struck out swinging, Kendrick stole second, Kendrick to third on throwing error by catcher Hundley. | 0 | 0 |
| González grounded out to third. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Kenta Maeda pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Gray struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Blackmon doubled to deep right center. | 0 | 0 |
| LeMahieu grounded out to pitcher. | 0 | 0 |
| González fouled out to third. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 4th | SCORE | |
| Jon Gray pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Grandal struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Reddick singled to left center. | 0 | 0 |
| Pederson flied out to center. | 0 | 0 |
| Segedin singled to left, Reddick to third. | 0 | 0 |
| Maeda grounded out to catcher. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 4th | SCORE | |
| Kenta Maeda pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Arenado struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Dahl singled to right center. | 0 | 0 |
| Parra grounded into fielder's choice to second, Dahl out at second. | 0 | 0 |
| Hundley homered to left (390 feet), Parra scored. | 0 | 2 |
| Descalso grounded out to first. | 0 | 2 |
| 2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 5th | SCORE | |
| Jon Gray pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Utley grounded out to shortstop. | 0 | 2 |
| Kendrick walked. | 0 | 2 |
| Seager hit by pitch, Kendrick to second. | 0 | 2 |
| González lined out to center. | 0 | 2 |
| Grandal flied out to right. | 0 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 5th | SCORE | |
| Kenta Maeda pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Gray grounded out to third. | 0 | 2 |
| Blackmon lined out to second. | 0 | 2 |
| LeMahieu struck out swinging. | 0 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 6th | SCORE | |
| Jon Gray pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Reddick grounded out to second. | 0 | 2 |
| Pederson struck out swinging. | 0 | 2 |
| Segedin hit by pitch. | 0 | 2 |
| Hernández hit for Maeda. | 0 | 2 |
| Hernández struck out swinging. | 0 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 6th | SCORE | |
| Grant Dayton pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Dayton relieved Maeda. | 0 | 2 |
| González lined out to left. | 0 | 2 |
| Arenado singled to center. | 0 | 2 |
| Dahl popped out to shortstop. | 0 | 2 |
| Parra struck out swinging. | 0 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 7th | SCORE | |
| Chris Rusin pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Rusin relieved Gray. | 0 | 2 |
| Utley struck out swinging. | 0 | 2 |
| Kendrick struck out swinging. | 0 | 2 |
| Seager hit by pitch. | 0 | 2 |
| González grounded out to first. | 0 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 7th | SCORE | |
| Adam Liberatore pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Liberatore relieved Dayton. | 0 | 2 |
| Hundley struck out swinging. | 0 | 2 |
| Descalso singled to left center. | 0 | 2 |
| Raburn hit for Rusin. | 0 | 2 |
| Raburn walked, Descalso to second. | 0 | 2 |
| Blackmon singled to right center, Descalso scored, Raburn to third. | 0 | 3 |
| LeMahieu doubled to deep right center, Raburn and Blackmon scored. | 0 | 5 |
| Báez relieved Liberatore. | 0 | 5 |
| González lined out to right. | 0 | 5 |
| Arenado doubled to deep right, LeMahieu scored. | 0 | 6 |
| Dahl walked. | 0 | 6 |
| Parra singled to center, Arenado scored, Dahl to third. | 0 | 7 |
| Hundley struck out swinging. | 0 | 7 |
| 5 Runs, 5 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 8th | SCORE | |
| Jake McGee pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| McGee relieved Rusin. | 0 | 7 |
| Grandal walked. | 0 | 7 |
| Reddick grounded into fielder's choice to second, Grandal out at second. | 0 | 7 |
| Pederson grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Reddick out at second. | 0 | 7 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 8th | SCORE | |
| J.P. Howell pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Howell relieved Báez. | 0 | 7 |
| Descalso grounded out to second. | 0 | 7 |
| Cardullo hit for McGee. | 0 | 7 |
| Cardullo singled to left. | 0 | 7 |
| Blackmon singled to center, Cardullo to third. | 0 | 7 |
| LeMahieu grounded into fielder's choice to first, Cardullo scored, Blackmon out at second. | 0 | 8 |
| González lined out to right. | 0 | 8 |
| 1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 9th | SCORE | |
| Matt Carasiti pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Carasiti relieved McGee. | 0 | 8 |
| Adames at third base. | 0 | 8 |
| Cardullo in right field. | 0 | 8 |
| Segedin grounded out to shortstop. | 0 | 8 |
| Toles hit for Howell. | 0 | 8 |
| Toles tripled to deep center. | 0 | 8 |
| Culberson hit for Utley. | 0 | 8 |
| Culberson grounded out to shortstop, Toles scored. | 1 | 8 |
| Kendrick walked. | 1 | 8 |
| Kendrick to second on fielder's indifference. | 1 | 8 |
| Seager flied out to right. | 1 | 8 |
| 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
Los Angeles Dodgers
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | #P | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utley 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18 | .257 | .326 | .394 |
b-Culberson PH
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .225 | .244 | .275 |
| Kendrick LF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 23 | .268 | .336 | .396 |
| Seager SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 | .320 | .379 | .540 |
| González 1B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .296 | .361 | .452 |
| Grandal C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19 | .224 | .341 | .468 |
| Reddick RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | .145 | .202 | .157 |
| Pederson CF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | .238 | .332 | .468 |
| Segedin 3B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | .295 | .340 | .455 |
| Maeda P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .106 | .125 | .191 |
a-Hernández PH
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .194 | .286 | .335 |
Dayton P
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | |
Báez P
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Howell P
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
c-Toles PH
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .370 | .435 | .611 |
| Totals | 31 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 152 | |||
| a-struck out swinging for K Maeda in the 6th b-grounded to shortstop for C Utley in the 9th c-tripled to deep center for J Howell in the 9th | ||||||||||
| BATTING 3B: Toles (1, Carasiti) RBI: Culberson (6) GIDP: Pederson Dodgers RISP: 0-8 (Grandal 0-2, González 0-3, Maeda 0-1, Seager 0-1, Culberson 0-1) Team LOB: 11 | ||||||||||
| BASERUNNING SB: Kendrick (9, 2nd base off Gray/Hundley) | ||||||||||
Game Information
| Stadium | Coors Field, Denver, CO |
| Attendance | 24,308 (48.2% full) - % is based on regular season capacity |
| Game Time | 3:36 |
| Weather | 70 degrees, cloudy |
| Wind | 5 mph |
| Umpires | Home Plate - Tom Hallion, First Base - Dan Bellino, Second Base - Phil Cuzzi, Third Base - Adam Hamari |
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