The Rockies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night. We only mention it because, well, the Rockies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night!
You don’t have to take it on faith. It’s right here in black and white. The Rockies not only beat the Dodgers, they did it rather handily, winning 11-3 behind Aaron Cook, who notched his second win in five decisions.
For the numbers junkies in the crowd, the victory gave Jim Tracy 100 wins as the Rockies’ manager on his one-year anniversary on the job. If he had been able to beat the Dodgers with any regularity, he would have reached the 100 mark even sooner.
The Rockies going into the game were 99-65 under Tracy — 4-9 against the Dodgers, 95-56 against their other opponents. They were 4-14 vs. Los Angeles last season: 2-7 at Dodger Stadium, 2-7 at Coors Field.
For one night at least, there was an end to the trend. The Rockies jumped on Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda (5-3) for five runs in the first three innings, which proved to be enough for Cook. Not that there weren’t some anxious moments later in the game. This was, after all, the Dodgers.
Carlos Gonzalez scored in the first after being hit by a pitch, then homered, his seventh of the season and third of the homestand, to give the Rockies a 3-0 lead in the second.
Clint Barmes and Cook had run-scoring singles in the third before Seth Smith’s soft liner to left drove in two more in a three-run fifth. The Dodgers scored three in the seventh, but it was too little too late.
Yes, it’s only late May, but the Rockies needed a win over the Dodgers, who went into Saturday 14-4 vs. the National League West compared to the Rockies’ 10-9. And Cook gave it to them.
Nothing like a little embarrassment to motivate a guy. Cook in his previous start took a 9-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth at Kansas City, but couldn’t stick around long enough for the win.
For whatever reason, he has been a tale of two pitchers in 2010. Saturday’s win improved his record at Coors Field to 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA. On the road, he’s a ghastly 0-3, 7.04.
The Rockies with the victory have a chance to win yet another series at home. They’re 5-1-1 through seven series at Coors, with the split coming in a rain-shortened two-game set vs. the Phillies.
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
