Read More: Todd Helton (1B – COL), Ted Lilly (P – LOS), Hong-Chih Kuo (P – LOS), Blake Hawksworth (P – LOS), Esmil Rogers (P – COL), Carlos Gonzalez (LF – COL), Trent Oeltjen (LF – LOS), Dexter Fowler (CF – COL), Scott Elbert (P – LOS), Javy Guerra (P – LOS), Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies, Aug 20, 2011 1:10 PM PDT

Dexter Fowler hit a two-out single off Blake Hawksworth in the bottom of the 13th inning, giving the Colorado Rockies a 7-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday at Coors Field. The winning hit redeemed Fowler, who made a bad decision to dive for a hit by Trent Oeltjen in the top of the 12th inning, which led to an inside-the-park home run.

The Dodgers held a 6-4 lead heading into the bottom of the 12th inning, but Javy Guerra allowed two runs for his first blown save of the season. At five hours, seven minutes, Saturday was the longest game of the season for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers scored a pair of runs in both the first and fourth innings off Esmil Rogers, but could have scored even more. They had multiple runners on base in both the second and third innings, and put another runner on in the fifth inning. However, Rogers was able to last through six innings giving up just those four runs, on 12 hits and a walk.

Ted Lilly left the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with neck stiffness, having thrown just 72 pitches. Lilly woke up in Milwaukee earlier in the week with a stiff neck and the condition worsened throughout Saturday’s game, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

The Dodgers in particular got stellar relief work from their two lefties on Saturday, as Hong-Chih Kuo and Scott Elbert combined to strikeout five of the eight batters they faced. Kuo ended the rally in the fifth inning with a strikeout of Carlos Gonzalez, then struck out the first two batters of the sixth inning as well.

The Dodgers used seven relief pitchers and 19 total players in the game. The Rockies used six relievers and 22 total players. It was the first extra-inning loss of the season for the Dodgers, who are now 6-1 in extra frames.

Todd Helton hit a home run off Lilly in the second inning, the fifth time Helton has hit a home run on his birthday. In his six plate appearances, Helton saw a total of 38 pitches on his 38th birthday. Chad Billingsley starts for the Dodgers on Sunday, facing Kevin Millwood for Colorado.

 

For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.

When the crowd starts doing the “wave” in the third inning, you know you’ve got a laugher on your hands.

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Diamondbacks-Rockies series | Saturday’s box | MLB scoreboard

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Funny thing is, this one essentially was over after the first inning.

The Diamondbacks struck for five runs in their first turn at bat in support of Josh Collmenter, then bashed their way to a 12-3 rout of the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night in front of 34,849 at Chase Field.

Justin Upton and Miguel Montero led the way, equaling their career highs with six and five RBIs, respectively.

But it was the first time in club history that two Diamondbacks players each had five or more RBIs in a game.

“That’s huge. I didn’t know that. That’s nice,” said Montero, who hit a two-run double, a two-run homer, and forced in a run by drawing a walk. “What can I say? That’s pretty good.”

Upton, who hit a two-run double and added a grand slam, was less impressed with the feat.

“We’re not worried about that,” he said. “In the heat of a game, you just try to score as many runs as you can and win a ballgame. I don’t know what to say. I guess it’s a cool thing to do, but when guys get in scoring position, we’re just trying to drive in runs.”

In addition to making his third consecutive solid start, Collmenter pitched in with some offense of his own. The right-hander collected two hits, including his first RBI in the majors.

It was that hit, a single back up the middle, that gave the Diamondbacks a 5-0 lead in the first inning. Earlier, Upton and Montero each had their two-run doubles.

“That’s big anytime you’re a pitcher. You want to get that lead, whether it’s 1-0 or 2-0, especially early on,” said Collmenter, who improved to 6-5 and extended his scoreless streak to 15 innings until Troy Tulowitzki homered in the second.

“It gives you a little cushion out there and lets you ease into it, get more comfortable on the mound, knowing that you don’t have to be quite as perfect. You can maybe give up a hit here or there and still pitch your way out of it.”

The Rockies, even though they are without injured slugger Carlos Gonzalez (sprained wrist), always are a threat offensively. That’s why it was important for Arizona to keep up the pressure and continue to tack on runs.

Rockies starter Jason Hammel bore the brunt of it, allowing eight runs, 12 hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings.

Montero connected off him in the second inning for his 12th homer on a 0-2 pitch. Rockies reliever Eric Stults walked Montero with the bases loaded in the sixth and then allowed Upton’s grand slam an inning later.

“It was a slider or a cutter,” Upton said of his 17th homer. “He left it up over the inner half of the plate, and it was up, and (I) barreled it up.”

The shot got out of the yard in a hurry, but it looked like it might hook foul down the left-field line.

“I was watching it and making sure it didn’t hook foul,” Upton said. “It was hooking, too, but it got past the pole before it hooked too far.”

All in all, this was exactly the type of game the Diamondbacks needed, said manager Kirk Gibson, who pointed out shortstop Stephen Drew’s season-ending ankle injury Wednesday and Arizona’s 8-4 loss to the Rockies on Friday.

“You can come in here and feel sorry for yourself or you can come in and have some energy, have some fun,” Gibson said. “I think we did that in pregame, and it carried into the game. Hopefully it will carry into (Sunday) and beyond that.”

Diamondbacks rewind

Parra injured: Left fielder Gerardo Parra was struck on the left wrist by a pitch from Rockies left-hander Eric Stults during the seventh inning Saturday and was replaced by Xavier Nady in the eighth.

Manager Kirk Gibson said X-rays were negative, and he praised Parra’s game, citing his two hits, two walks and three runs scored from the No. 2 spot in the lineup.

“He’s more patient, and he can be that way,” Gibson said.

Tulowitzki breaks through: Rockies All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki entered Saturday’s game hitting just .079 (3 for 38) with one extra-base hit this season against the Diamondbacks.

Tulowitzki homered in his first at-bat, however, and later added a single, going 2 for 3 before being replaced along with most of the Rockies’ starting infielders late in the game.

Helton ties Manny: Todd Helton hit his 547th career double in the fourth inning, tying Manny Ramirez for 24th on baseball’s all-time list.

Up next are Eddie Murray and Jeff Kent, who are tied at 22nd with 560 doubles apiece. Former Diamondbacks star Luis Gonzalez retired with 596 doubles, which ranks 15th all-time, just behind Cal Ripken Jr. (603) and Barry Bonds. (601).

View from the press box

It’s always a difficult decision to wave a starting pitcher around third base when he’s standing at second and a single is hit to left field. Matt Williams sent Josh Collmenter home in that situation in the sixth inning, and the pitcher was tagged out, even though replays appeared to show he was safe. Collmenter said he should have run harder, but should he have been waved home when the Diamondbacks had a four-run lead? It’s rarely worth it in that situation.

DENVER (AP)—The Colorado Rockies recalled right-hander Juan Nicasio(notes) from
Double-A Tulsa and optioned reliever Bruce Billings(notes) to Triple-A Colorado
Springs.

The hard-throwing Nicasio will make his major league debut Saturday night
against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Nicasio was 5-1 with a 2.22 ERA for Tulsa. He had 63 strikeouts and 10 walks
in 56 2-3 innings.

The Rockies have had to juggle their rotation since lefty Jorge De La Rosa(notes)
sustained a season-ending elbow injury on Tuesday.

Billings made his major league debut Friday night, giving up one run and
five hits in two innings.

Tuesday afternoon, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Diamondbacks, Rockies starter Jorge de la Rosa worked his way into the third inning. After throwing a changeup to Chris Young, though, de la Rosa paused on the mound, and catcher Chris Iannetta signaled to the dugout. Out came the manager and the trainer, and after de la Rosa threw one practice pitch, he grimaced and was removed from the game.

de la Rosa was replaced by Greg Reynolds, who allowed three runs to score – two of which were charged to de la Rosa – but the more pressing concern here is de la Rosa’s health. The lefty has been battling blister problems during the season, and this might be related to that, but it also might not. The announcers were speculating that something might have gone wrong with de la Rosa’s elbow, and a scout thought the same thing. The southpaw wiggled his left arm after throwing his final pitch.

We’ll update you as we learn more about de la Rosa’s injury. The lefty owns a 3.51 ERA over ten starts with 52 strikeouts and 22 walks, and the Rockies were counting on him to shoulder a heavy load in the rotation. His next scheduled start is this Saturday, but that obviously doesn’t look good at the moment.

Read More: Ubaldo Jimenez (P – COL), Randy Wolf (P – MIL), Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers

This series with the Milwaukee Brewers has not been kind to the Colorado Rockies. On Friday night, the Rockies blew the game on three separate occasions, the last one being a walkoff home run given up by Felipe Paulino, who was designated for assignment on Saturday night. Earlier on Saturday, the Brewers’ Shaun Marcum held the Rockies to one run in eight innings, though closer John Axford almost blew the game.

Things do not bode well for the Rockies, but Ubaldo Jimenez is on the mound and he may be turning his season around. After being ineffective for most of his previous starts, Jimenez went seven innings and allowed three runs in a no-decision on May 17. More importantly, he struck out seven and walked only one. He had 21 free passes in his five starts before that. In two career starts at Miller Park, Jimenez has a 0.69 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 13 innings.

The Brewers counter Randy Wolf, who is winless since April 24. At that point Wolf had won three straight decisions and had racked up 19 strikeouts. In the four starts since then, Wolf and the Brewers have lost each game. On May 11 he allowed five runs in 3.1 innings, but came back better in his May 17 start. He allowed two runs in 5.1 innings, but took the loss because his team didn’t score in the 3-0 loss to the Dodgers.

First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. MT. ROOT Sports will have the broadcast after MLB rules prevented game from airing on Saturday evening.

For more on the Rockies, Purple Row is your destination. Brew Crew Ball has more on the Brewers.