As the Rockies dugout emptied the night before, after their most disheartening loss of the season, Troy Tulowitzki sat alone along the rail and looked on at another Dodgers celebration. His stare burned like white heat.
The shortstop had lifted the Rockies to a late lead after a two-run home run in the seventh. He pumped his fist running around the bases. But the joy disappeared with two outs in the ninth when Alex Guerrero hit a game-deciding grand slam for the Dodgers.
It was the kind of loss that lingers.
“It can,” manager Walt Weiss said before Wednesday’s game, “but it won’t.”
The Rockies and Tulowitzki were back at Coors Field the next day trying to erase the pain.
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And Tulowitzki’s three-run homer in the fifth and Nolan Arenado’s game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth boosted the Rockies to a come-from-behind, hurt-healing, 7-6 victory over the Dodgers after midnight early Thursday morning.
“As much as that loss hurt, this win feels good,” said Tulowitzki, who finished with five RBIs. “It’s like we traded games there.”
The Rockies (24-28), who won five of six games on a road trip last week, salvaged a series split with the division-leading Dodgers (31-22).
Tulowitzki, who finished 2-for-3 with a walk, hit his fourth home run in his past five games. He also singled in a run in the first. It was Tulowitzki’s first five-RBI game since April 18 of 2014 against the Phillies.
“Guys were still upbeat in the dugout, thinking we could get it done,” Tulowitzki said. “We’re playing good baseball. We’re getting some starting pitching actually. Our bullpen has done ok. And some guys in the lineup are starting to get hot.”
Charlie Blackmon, whose ground-rule double in the ninth sparked a rally, went 4-for-5 with two doubles.
“Things are going to happen like last night,” Blackmon said of Tuesday’s late loss. “But if we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll run into more games like tonight.”
The Dodgers busted out in the seventh on Andre Ethier’s workmanlike, two-strike, two-RBI single and Adrian Gonzalez’s RBI single as Los Angeles took the lead in front of a lifeless, weather-depressed crowd in LoDo. The game was delayed for more than two-and-a-half hours because of rain and lightning.
Chad Bettis, who flirted with a perfect game into the seventh inning last week at Philadelphia, started strong for the Rockies against the division-leading Dodgers.
He allowed just one earned run. Justin Turner fouled off four Bettis fastballs in the fifth, then timed his curveball, roping it to left to score Joc Pederson.
Bettis, who was removed before the seventh after 102 pitches, has allowed just three runs in his past 22 1/3 innings with a 1.21 ERA. The Dodgers got five hits off him. He struck out five and walked three.
His relief, though, faltered. Christian Friedrich gave up three consecutive singles in the seventh. Then Brooks Brown walked the bases loaded and gave up Ethier’s single. In the eighth, Dodgers center fielder Pederson hit a solo homer off Scott Oberg.
Colorado relievers have now allowed 14 earned runs in their past 12 innings over four games.
The Rockies entered the game 2-21 this season when trailing after the seventh inning. But in the ninth, with the Dodgers ahead 6-4, the Rockies rallied.
Michael McKenry led off with a single. Charlie Blackmon hit a ground-rule double. DJ LeMahieu walked to load the bases. Tulowitzki walked to score a run.
And Arenado’s fly ball to center field, with the Dodgers’ using a fifth infielder, scored LeMahieu for the game-winner.
Despite their stomach-turning loss Tuesday, the Rockies have won nine of their past 12 games.
“I’m not trying to be part of a team that shuts it down after we lose a lead,” Blackmon said. “We’re not here trying not to lose. I’m here to win. We’re trying to win.”
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or
