LOS ANGELES-
Brad Penny allowed two hits over 6 1-3 innings and Nomar Garciaparra hit a tiebreaking two-run single, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.
Penny (2-0) struck out three, walked four and retired 11 consecutive batters before hitting Chris Iannetta with his 108th and final pitch. The burly right-hander, energized by a game-time temperature of 63 degrees, a slight breeze and an airtight defense, beat the Rockies for the sixth straight time after going 5-0 with a 2.67 ERA against them last season.
Colorado’s only hits were Iannetta’s one-out infield single in the second inning and Garrett Atkins’ one-out single to left field in the third.
Jonathan Broxton retired all four batters he faced and Takashi Saito pitched the ninth for his fifth save in as many chances.
Jason Hirsh (1-1) allowed three runs, six hits and two walks over five innings and struck out three in his first career appearance against the Dodgers. It was the 11th big league start for the 25-year-old Southern California native, who was born in Santa Monica, attended high school in La Canada, and lives in Burbank during the off-season.
The fourth inning was an absolute nightmare for Hirsh—especially from the neck up. Juan Pierre and Russell Martin singled with two out, then executed a double-steal while the rookie right-hander absentmindedly kept looking for a sign from Iannetta. Hirsh kept his right foot on the rubber and never made a move toward either runner, while Iannetta got out of his crouch and pointed to second base.
Garciaparra lined the next pitch to left field for a two-run single, and before Hirsh made his next delivery, he balked Garciaparra to second. Jeff Kent singled him home, giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. It marked the first time in eight games that a Rockies starer allowed more than two runs.
Penny made 24 pitches in the first inning. He walked three consecutive batters after retiring leadoff hitter Willy Taveras, then came back to strike out Matt Holliday on three straight pitches and retire Brad Hawpe on a fielder’s choice grounder to third. In the Rockies’ 2-1 loss on Tuesday, Holliday grounded into an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play with the bases loaded against reliever Joe Beimel.
Iannetta reached on an infield single to the left of the mound in the Rockies’ second inning, ending an 0-for-13 slide. Hirsh tried to bunt him to second, but got it in the air and Garciaparra charged in from first base to grab it on the fly. Taveras then tried to bunt his way on, but Penny hopped off the mound and made a diving backhanded catch.
The Rockies stranded another runner at third base in the third, as Hawpe flied out with runners at the corners.
Notes:@ It was the first time in nine games this season that a Rockies starting pitcher didn’t go at least six innings—and the first time the bullpen did not allow a run. … Kaz Matsui became the third Colorado batter to be retired on a bunt in the air when he fouled out to the catcher in the fifth. … Penny is 11-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 17 career starts against the Rockies, and 4-0 with a 2.19 ERA in four starts at Dodger Stadium. … Colorado 1B Todd Helton needs two RBIs for 1,000 in his career.
