On a picture-perfect Colorado night, 46,039 fans turned out to watch the Rockies challenge division-leading Los Angeles, and for a change, Rockies fans didn’t go home singing the Dodger blues.
Colorado entered the game with a 6-19 record against the Dodgers over the past two seasons. But the Rockies won 6-2 Saturday night behind a crafty performance by starter Jeff Francis and power strokes from Matt Holliday, Troy Tulowitzki and Garrett Atkins.
L.A.’s loss, coupled with Arizona’s win over Atlanta, dropped the Dodgers into a first-place tie with the Diamondbacks. The Rockies are 4 ½ games out of first.
Francis improved to 11-5 on a night when he didn’t have dynamite stuff, just plenty of guile. In 7 2/3 innings, he allowed two runs on seven hits. He struck out five and issued no walks.
In the seventh, Francis pulled off an escape act worthy of Houdini. He gave up a leadoff single to Jeff Kent, a double to Nomar Garciaparra and another single to Andre Ethier, but the Dodgers managed just one run. Francis struck out Mett Kemp, jammed Mike Lieberthal, causing him to foul out to Todd Helton, and ended the inning by getting pinch hitter Russell Martin to pop out to second.
Holliday sailed a two-run liner into the right-field stands in the first inning for his team-leading 19th homer. Troy Tulowitzki smashed a 402-foot, two-run shot into the left-field bleachers in the second for his 12th homer. And Garrett Atkins added a solo homer to left in the seventh, his 15th.
