Game 115: Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies 4:3

This was an important game for the Dodgers. As streaky as they have been, it was important to bounce right back.

Kenny Lofton continues to surprise many. It seems that everytime there is talk of taking him out of the linep, he comes through in the clutch, reminding everyone of the veteran he is. Lofton singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, moving the Dodgers into first place in the NL West, defeating the Rockies 4-3 Thursday night.

"He's been around long enough to know how to play the game
and he's been on teams that have won, so it's nice to have him,"
Dodgers reliever Brett Tomko said. "He's usually the guy
who gets traded for the stretch run. He knows what
he needs to do to help the team, whatever it is."

The Dodgers, whose 11-game winning streak ended with a 3-1 loss Wednesday night, are a half-game ahead of San Diego and Arizona. This is the first time the Dodgers have had sole possession of first place since June 26. They were as many as seven and a half games off the pace on July 26 after losing 13 of 14 games following the All-Star break.

Jose Mesa gave up a one-out walk to pinch-hitter Julio Lugo and a single to Rafael Furcal before lofted sliced a pitch into left field to win the game. Dodgers rookie-of-the-year contender Andre Ethier seemed to have clinched the Dodger's victory with a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning.

Unfortunately, a bad play in the outfield and an error charged to Jeff Kent erased the lead in the top of the tenth, forcing the Dodgers to come back in the bottom half of the inning.

"We had that inning drawn up as soon as the inning started,"
Hurdle said. "We were get let Corpas pitch to (Jeff) Kent
and have King come in to face Ethier. Ethier hadn't hit
a home run all year off a left-hander, and King hadn't
given up one to a lefty all year. Obviously, it didn't work
-- and it didn't work in the ninth, either."

Goes to show the lefty verses lefty philosophy isn't all its made up to be.

For the second time in this four-game series, a Rockies pitcher was ejected after Hurdle removed him from the game. King, who was upset about a previous pitch to Wilson Betemit, held both arms out to the side (before and after Huddle made the pitching change) and was tossed by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. On Monday night, Sam Holbrook ejected Josh Fogg under the same circumstances.

Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley allowed a run and three hits over five innings, struck out three and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third. All of his six walks came during a span of 10 batters, but none of those baserunners scored. Billingsley, with as much promise as he does have, obviously still needs to work on lowering his walks. He also needs to work on first pitch strikes.

The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on Nomar Garciaparra's sacrifice fly, but Colorado tied it in the sixth against reliever Aaron Sele with a two-out RBI double. Garciaparra, who came in 4-for-20 lifetime against Colorado starter Jason Jennings, singled his first two times up. But in the seventh, he flied out to end the inning after a pair of two-out walks.

Furcal led off the Dodgers' first with a triple and scored on Lofton's groundout. The Rockies tied it in the second when Matt Holliday led off with a drive that struck the right-field pole.

A bit of randomness:

Without cheating, who can name the eight players on the Dodgers' 25-man roster that played for the Dodgers last season?