LOS ANGELES — Crunch time has turned into loss time for the Rockies.
It happened again this afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers won the game 3-2 in 10 innings and swept the three-game series when James Loney hit a bases-loaded single off Manuel Corpas. Corpas got into deep trouble by walking Rafael Furcal and Mike Sweeney to open the inning.
The Rockies have lost seven of their last eight, falling five games below .500 (10-15) and are eight games behind the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West. That deficit matches the largest the Rockies faced all of last season.
Colorado, which wasted a fine performance by starter Jeff Francis, was extended to extra innings for the fifth time this season and the second time in three games. They fell to 1-4 in extra-inning games.
This defeat can’t be laid only on Corpas’ shoulders. The Rockies had numerous chanced to win the game but couldn’t convert:
Helton opened the inning by drawing a nine-pitch walk off reliever Jonathan Broxton. Matt Holliday followed with what looked like a double-play grounder to second baseman Chin-lung Hu, who threw the ball into left field. Helton moved to third and Holliday to second, but Garrett Atkins grounded out to second, failing to advance either runner. Broxton intentionally walked Hawpe. Tulowitzki came up with a chance to be a hero but hit a sharp grounder to Furcal at shortstop, who turned an easy double play. Tulowitzki went 0-for-5, his average falling to .157.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Dodgers got two singles off reliever Matt Herges, but couldn’t cash in either. James Loney grounded into a double play and Herges struck out Andruw Jones. Jones, hitting .159, struck out three times and was booed relentlessly.
On a hot day with a first-pitch temperature of 92 degrees, Francis gave the Rockies everything they could have asked for. He gave up two runs on five hits, walked three and struck out six. Francis retired 10 Dodgers in a row from the end of the fourth through the seventh.
In fourth, however, Francis fell into the same trap as other Rockies starters. After getting the first two outs, he found trouble. Recent Triple-A callup Blake DeWitt sliced a triple into the right-field corner, and Francis walked Chin-lung Hu to get to pitcher Esteban Loaiza. But Loaiza drilled a single to right-center, scoring DeWitt. Hu then scored on Rafael Furcal’s baby blooper to left that fell just beyond the reach of Tulowitzki.
The Rockies tied the game in the fifth on a leadoff double by Baker, a run-scoring double by Taveras and an RBI single by Helton.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
