LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jordan Lyles got through seven innings on a night when mound opponent Josh Beckett displayed his old All-Star form for eight. Troy Tulowitzki and the rest of the Colorado Rockies did the rest against the Dodgers’ overworked bullpen.
Charlie Blackmon hit an RBI single in the 11th inning and the Rockies got home runs from Tulowitzki and Corey Dickerson to beat Los Angeles 5-4 on Friday. Carlos Gonzalez also had an RBI during the decisive rally.
“We look for Tulo and CarGo to lead us. If they don’t go anywhere, we don’t go anywhere,” Lyles said. “So for us to be good we need them to be good. They are proven players and they’re going to give their best effort every day of the week. Talent-wise, it doesn’t get much better that that combo.”
Adam Ottavino took over in the eighth for Lyles as a steady drizzle sent many in the crowd of 44,866 for cover. Ottavino retired the side in order before Boone Logan struck out his first two batters in the ninth - including Matt Kemp, who was ejected by umpire Angel Hernandez for arguing a called third strike.
It was Kemp’s seventh career ejection and the Dodgers’ first this season.
The drizzle had turned into a downpour by the 10th. Brandon Barnes pinch-hit for reliever Rex Brothers (2-2) with one out in the 11th and doubled against Jamey Wright (1-1).
Left-hander J.P. Howell entered to face the lefty-swinging Blackmon, who came in leading the majors with a .410 average. The leadoff hitter grounded a 2-2 pitch up the middle to drive in the go-ahead run after going hitless in his four previous at-bats against Beckett.
Nolan Arenado followed with a single that extended his career-best hitting streak to 15 games. The Rockies added another run when first baseman Adrian Gonzalez threw home on a grounder in front of the bag by Carlos Gonzalez and was too late to get Blackmon. Justin Morneau capped the rally with an RBI single against Brandon League.
Brothers pitched a hitless inning and LaTroy Hawkins got three outs for his seventh save after giving up a two-run homer to Adrian Gonzalez. Kemp would have been the next batter had he not been tossed.
Yasiel Puig also went deep and had an RBI single for the defending NL West champions, who are 1-5 in extra-inning games.
Beckett allowed two runs and four hits with six strikeouts and no walks, after pitching five scoreless innings in each of his previous two starts. The right-hander, whose first four outings have resulted in no-decisions, hasn’t won since beating the Rockies on Sept. 30, 2012, at Los Angeles.
“There aren’t very many easy outs in that lineup, but I got some easier outs on some changeups. That was really the key to keeping them off balance,” Beckett said. “They’re a very good hitting team. Most of their guys usually feel pretty good about themselves, and they should.”
Beckett was 0-5 with a 5.19 ERA in eight starts last season before sitting out the final five months because of a groin strain and a subsequent bout with thoracic outlet syndrome, a nerve condition that required surgery in July.
“I think this was a step in the right direction for me, personally. I wanted to show myself that I could do some things I haven’t done in a while, like pitching innings,” Beckett said. “I mean, I haven’t been up and down six times in like 400 days. I don’t know exactly how many. That’s just a guess.”
Lyles allowed two runs and six hits, striking out four and walking one.
Puig, the second batter Lyles faced, hit the first pitch to center field for his third home run. Ten of Puig’s first 22 big league homers have come on the first pitch.
“I don’t mind when guys swing early, especially since I’m a guy that does a decent job of getting guys to hit the ball on the ground,” Lyles said. “I tried to make a good pitch down and away. If I threw a ball, I was fine with it. But I didn’t get another chance. I left it over the plate and he put a good swing on it. He’s a strong guy who can put it into the seats.”
Tulowitzki drove Beckett’s second pitch of the second inning deep into the left-field pavilion for his fifth of the season. Two batters later, Dickerson hit a first-pitch homer to left-center. Beckett then retired 17 of his next 18 batters.
NOTES: Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (back) threw 56 pitches over five innings in a rehab start for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga against visiting Lancaster, allowing a run and two hits with six strikeouts and a walk. The run came on a leadoff homer in the fifth.
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