Rockies 7 12 1

WP- Outman (1-0)

LP- Beckett (0-4)

HR- Gonzalez (3)

With Mark Ellis and Carl Crawford sitting out licking their wounds Wednesday night, the Dodgers were trying to find a way to win this home series against the Rockies without them. After a masterful performance by Hyun-jin Ryu last night, Josh Beckett failed to deliver a repeat performance. Beckett, winless, was extremely ineffective. His season-long troubles continue as he picks up his fourth loss on the season. Adrian Gonzalez came close to hitting two homeruns, but Dexter Fowler robbed Gonzo of one sure shot. The Dodger bullpen was as horrible as ever. After Beckett’s initial offering of 5 runs, Jansen allowed another two runs. The Dodgers drop the series, and they begin the new month one game under .500 with a 13-14 record.

May 1, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starter Josh Beckett (61) reacts against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Hanley Ramirez promptly bobbles a routine grounder, and Eric Young reaches safely to open things up in the top of the first. Dexter Fowler singles, and just like that the Rockies have runners at first and third with nobody out. Josh Beckett walks Carlos Gonzalez to load up the bases. This will not end well. Sure enough Troy Tulowitzki doubles to the gap and two runs score. Michael Cuddyer‘s sacrifice fly scores CarGo, and the Rockies have a 3-0 lead. Wilin Rosario is fooled on a Beckett breaking ball, and he strikes out. Nolan Arenado lines out to a jumping Hanley, and the inning is finally over. Beckett made 27 pitches in that fateful inning.

Nick Punto strikes out looking against Juan Nicasio in the home half of the first. Hanley smacks a double over Eric Young’s head! I See You! Adrian Gonzalez cashes in by hitting a huge homerun to right field, and the two-run shot puts the Dodgers within one run, 3-2. Matt Kemp strikes out. Andre Ethier flies out.

Beckett somehow gets out of a bases loaded jam in the second inning. Josh Rutledge hits a lead-off single, Nicasio sacrifices him over to second. Eric Young strikes out. Fowler is hit by a pitch, and CarGo walks again to load the bases up for Tulo once again. This time Beckett strikes out the former mullet man to strand all three men.

A.J. Ellis leads off with a single in the bottom of the second, but the bottom three hitters all make out.

Josh Beckett retires the Rockies in order in the top of the third for the first time of the game.

In the bottom of the third, Nick Punto and Hanley Ramirez single consecutively. Adrian Gonzalez gets robbed of a deep center field homerun as Dexter Fowler makes a leaping catch beyond the outfield wall. The entire stadium reacts, and Gonzo looks on in disbelief as he walks back to the dugout. With Matt Kemp batting, Hanley steals second. That’s Hanley’s first stolen base of the season! Andre Ethier is given a free pass, and then Nicasio uncorks a wild pitch which allows Punto to come home to score! The Dodgers tie up the game!

It’s a brand new game as Beckett takes the mound in the fourth inning. Rutledge promptly doubles to open the frame. Eric Young walks. That’s the third walk allowed by Beckett. Fowler, the Adrian homer stealer, strikes out for a huge out. But then Dodger killer CarGo doubles to right field. Rutledge and Young score giving the lead back to Colorado 5-3. Another coaching visit to the mound goes down before Tulo comes up. Tulo flies out to Kemp to end the inning, but the tie is broken.

Josh Beckett pitched 4 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks on 83 pitches.

Nicasio walks lead-off man Schumaker in the bottom of the fourth inning. Uribe strikes out. Justin Sellerswill pinch-hit for Josh Beckett who comes out of the game losing. He

May 1, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies starter Juan Nicasio (44) reacts against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

uselessly pops out. Schumaker is able to make it to second on another wild pitch by Nicasio. Punto strikes out, and Schumaker is stranded at second.

Matt Guerrier is in to relieve Beckett in the fifth inning. We will have five innings of bullpen action here. Cuddyer leads off with a single. Rosario flies out, and Arenado grounds into an inning ending double play. Guerrier pitches a scoreless frame.

Josh Outman, a lefty, is the new pitcher for the Rockies in the bottom of the fifth. Juan Nicasio pitched 4 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, with 6 strikeouts, and 2 walks on 92 pitches. Kemp gets a two-out single, but Ethier strikes out on a hard breaking slider to end the inning.

Guerrier gets the first two outs in the sixth, but then he allows a double to the speedy Eric Young. The Dodgers will bring in Paco Rodriguez to pitch to Dexter Fowler. Paco gets Fowler on a sinking fastball!

The Dodgers go down in order against Outman in the sixth.

Rodriguez is out there to start the seventh. Paco strikes out CarGo, and the loogy has done his job retiring Fowler and Cargo. For some reason, Mattingly brings in Kenley Jansen to pitch now. Tulo promptly singles off Kenley. Cuddyer than hits a double which rolls all the way to the center field wall, and Tulowitzki scores all the way from first. Mattingly will now bring in Ronald Belisario with one out. Beli retires Rosario on a grounder, but then he walks Arenado. Rutledge hits one through the hole into right field, and the Rockies plate their seventh run.

Matt Belisle will pitch the bottom of the seventh for Colorado. Jerry Hairston Jr. leads off the inning with a single. Punto lines into a unassisted double play when Cuddyer steps on first base to double up JHair. Hanley singles, but Gonzo grounds out to end the inning.

J.P. Howell comes in for the eighth. CarGo doubles down the right field line with two outs. That’s the Rockies sixth double of the game. Adrian Gonzalez collides with the first base umpire while trying to make the play. Cuddyer pops out, and Howell manages to not allow another run.

Rex Brothers is in for the bottom half of the eighth inning. He quickly makes work of Matt Kemp who goes down swinging. Ethier grounds out. A.J. reaches second base safely on a error by Arenado. Schumaker strikes out.

We finally reach the ninth inning, and this game is three and a half hours old already. Javy Guerra will make his season debut for the Dodgers. Javy strikes out Rosario to mark his return! Arenado hits a long single to right field. Rutledge walks. Reid Brignac, who is pinch-hitting for Brothers strikes out swinging. Young flies out.

Rafael Betancourt will pitch the bottom of the ninth for the Rox. Luis Cruz strikes out on a high fast ball. Hairston flies out. Punto grounds out to end the misery.

That was a long, painful process. The game clocked in at just under the four hour mark.

Tomorrow is a much needed off day, and then the Dodgers will clash with the Giants up at AT&T Park this weekend. Friday features Clayton Kershaw versus Barry Zito.  

Dodgers Lineup:

Hairston LF

Punto 2B

Kemp CF

Gonzalez 1B

Ramirez SS

Ethier RF

A.J. Ellis C

Uribe 3B

Ryu P

(Crawford scratched with tightness in right hamstring)

If you were one of the diehard Dodger fans who watched the entirety of that drubbing of a game last night, you got a little treat in the ninth inning when Skip Schumaker took the mound. By the ninth inning, the Rockies had all but buried the Dodgers with their potent offense which capitalized on a rusty Ted Lilly and a roughed up Josh Wall. Even though it was a blow out game, Don Mattingly still made some concerning decisions including leaving in Matt Kemp after he was hit in the face by Tyler Chatwood. Why not give Matty a rest for a few innings? Remember, Mattingly also left in Javy Guerra last season after he was pummeled in the face by a Brian McCann line drive. As a manager, you must make the decision to pull an injured player even if they insist they are okay. Someone I was talking to last night made an interesting point. Perhaps since Mattingly played injured during his career he may be more empathetic to a player who says they can play through it.

Apr 29, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Skip Schumaker pitches in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. The Rockies defeated the Dodgers 12-2. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Skip Schumaker’s scoreless ninth inning was an entertaining  moment during what was an long and ugly game. This was the first time a Dodger position player has pitched since 2009 when Mark Loretta took the mound. Schumaker last pitched in 2011 against the Dodgers of all teams. He allowed a two-run homerun to Aaron Miles, who coincidently also pitched before in a MLB game. Schumaker allowed two singles, a walk, but was able to get out of the jam while touching 90-mph on the radar gun. Schumaker said after the game that he was excited to pitch on the same mound that Orel Hershiser had pitched from.  Hats off to Skip Schumaker, well done!

Hanley Ramirez will make his first start on the season for the Dodgers after returning from the disabled list. Last night Hanley struck out in one pinch-hit at-bat. The Dodgers will be looking to Hanley for that extra spark that they’ve been lacking in his absence. While Justin Sellers has filled in at short admirably, Luis Cruz has been just atrocious at the plate this season. Cruz could be headed to AAA if he continues to flounder.

Ted Lilly will undergo an MRI today, but it looks like he’ll be headed back to the DL. Matt Magill will remain with the team, and he will start the next time the Dodgers need him to. The Dodgers will also need to make a decision on Mark Ellis who has been day-to-day with a quad strain.

The Rockies, with a new manager, are playing a lot more aggressive and look to be a possible contender in the division. They are currently 16-10 and on top in the standings in the N.L. West. The Dodgers will need to win Tuesday’s game in order to finish the month of April at an even .500.

Hyun-jin Ryu has had a wonderful April for the Dodgers, and he has pitched at least six innings in each of his five starts. The Dodgers will need the Korean lefty to go deep into this game in order to spare the decimated bullpen. Ryu will take on the Rockies for the first time in his career. Last time out against the Mets in New York, Ryu pitched 7 solid innings while allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 8 strikeouts in the no-decision. Ryu has collected 34 strikeouts so far in 31 2/3 innings pitched. He has the most strikeouts for a rookie pitcher in the league currently.

In the southpaw showdown, the Rockies will have Jorge De La Rosa counter Ryu. He’s had trouble against the Dodgers in his career, and De La Rosa is 0

Hyun-jin Ryu leads the league in strikeouts amongst rookie pitchers with 34 Ks. Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

-7 with a 6.22 ERA against the Boys in Blue. Adrian Gonzalez and Matt Kemp have absolutely dominated him, and they each have three homeruns against him. De La Rosa picked up a loss last outing in Arizona after pitching 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 7 hits. He only struck out one batter but walked three.

After the game, Ryu will meet Korean superstar PSY and present him with a jersey. It’s also Hanley Ramirez bobblehead night, and hopefully we will be seeing Hanley’s signature “I See You” during the game.

Tune into KCAL tonight at 7:10 p.m. as the Dodgers try to even up the series.