Floating hot-dog wrappers and swirling rain are baseball’s bookend to spring’s perfectly manicured grass and shimmering sun.
When the 40,291 fans wandered into Coors Field Saturday night, this wasn’t what they had mind when they purchased tickets earlier this summer: necessary calisthenics with no hope for the playoffs.
The Rockies lost again, falling 5-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers, everyone in the National League West’s new annoying big brother.
What was supposed to be a September push for the Rockies has became a painful final lap of grimaces, gasps and groans. The weather turned sour as the Rockies dropped their seventh consecutive game. But it was the wind, not the rain that doomed them.
With shaky starter Jorge De La Rosa needing an offensive boost, the Rockies fanned 13 times, providing little resistance against promising Dodgers rookie Clayton Kershaw.
Colorado ranks fifth in the NL in Ks, a gnawing statistic for a team that prided itself last season on the ability to move runners and extend rallies with selfless at-bats.
The Rockies have scored just 21 runs during this skid. That used to be a good weekend when Eric Young, who took batting practice with the team Sunday, was manning second base in the pre-humidor days.
Kershaw conjured up memories of Roy Oswalt’s dominance a week ago, a mauling that sent the Rockies spiraling. The 20-year-old left-hander, who was drooled over as the next Sandy Koufax in spring training, turned in one of his best outings.
He kept the Rockies off balance with a curveball that turns knees to Jell-0, while keeping them honest with a 97-mph fastball. Among left-handed starters in the big leagues, only Milwaukee’s CC Sabathia can match the kid’s velocity.
The Rockies’ lone run came on a Clint Barmes single. The Dodgers countered with several strong punches against De La Rosa. Former Royals teammate Angel Berrora doubled home a run and Casey Blake, whom manager Joe Torre calls the “glue of the team,” homered and even Juan Pierre, getting a rare start with Andre Ethier away for family reasons, posted a sacrifice fly.
In what amounts to a role reversal from last September, the Dodgers have won 12 of their last 13 games, leaving the division race going through Los Angeles.
“We are in a position,” Torre said, “to put this away ourselves.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
