| SEASON | CAREER |
| W0 | 54 |
| L1 | 50 |
| G2 | 190 |
| IP6.2 | 776.0 |
| BB2 | 383 |
| SO3 | 685 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W6 | 131 |
| L14 | 95 |
| G27 | 306 |
| IP164.1 | 1886.0 |
| BB49 | 572 |
| SO127 | 1748 |
The Los Angeles Dodgers know they need help to claim the NL's final playoff spot, but it won't mean anything unless they take care of their own business.
Luckily for them they've gotten hot at the right time.
Los Angeles looks to win five straight games for the first time in more than two months when it hosts the Colorado Rockies in the finale of a three-game set Sunday.
The Dodgers (83-75) followed up an 8-0 win in the series opener with a 3-0 victory Saturday, pulling to within two games of the league's second wild card after St. Louis lost 6-4 in 10 innings to Washington.
Los Angeles ends the regular season with three home games against West champion San Francisco, while the Cardinals finish by hosting Central champ Cincinnati.
Matt Kemp hit solo homers in the fourth and eighth innings Saturday for the Dodgers, who last won five straight July 18-23.
"Right now we have to find a way to sneak into those playoffs," Kemp said. "We're both going to be playing good teams next week, so it's going to come down to the end. We've just got to keep going out there and playing hard and see where we end up."Los Angeles has scored 27 times during its winning streak, but it hasn't consistently provided that sort of run support for Josh Beckett since acquiring him from Boston.
Beckett (1-3, 3.16 ERA) has received two or fewer runs in five of his six starts with the club, and he didn't get any while giving up two runs - one earned - and striking out seven in 5 2-3 innings of a 2-1 loss to San Diego on Tuesday.
Both of his walks were to leadoff hitters in the fourth and fifth innings, and each ended up scoring. The right-hander is winless in his last four starts.
"I beat myself," Beckett told the team's official website. "That's kind of how you feel when you walk the leadoff guy in back-to-back innings and both score."
Tyler Colvin , who was scratched from Saturday's game with a sore elbow, was the first batter Beckett faced in a Dodgers uniform, and Colvin greeted him with a homer to lead off the game Aug. 27. Beckett ended up allowing three runs and striking out six in 5 2-3 innings of a 10-0 loss to the Rockies.
Colorado (62-96) set a new franchise high for losses with Saturday's defeat, surpassing the mark set in its 1993 inaugural season and matched in 2005.
The Rockies haven't plated a run in their last 23 innings.
Colorado will send Jorge De La Rosa to the mound for his third start since returning from Tommy John surgery that kept him out for nearly 16 months.
De La Rosa (0-1, 9.45) hopes this one is more efficient after giving up six runs in 3 2-3 innings of a 9-2 loss at San Francisco on Sept. 20 and allowing four runs - two earned - in three innings of Colorado's 10-5 win over the Cubs on Tuesday.
"You don't expect him to be pinpoint sharp," manager Jim Tracy said. "You want to see him throw pain-free, which he is doing."The left-hander has never beaten the Dodgers, posting a 5.98 ERA in eight starts and four relief appearances. The Rockies have lost all 12 games against Los Angeles in which De La Rosa has appeared.
@
AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPSERAQSSOBBSVBSBAAWHIPE
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Michael Cuddyer | 9 | .333 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .400 | 1.067 | .667 |
| Jason Giambi | 29 | .207 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 10 | .333 | .747 | .414 |
| Todd Helton | 12 | .333 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | .500 | 1.167 | .667 |
| Ramon Hernandez | 27 | .222 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | .300 | .633 | .333 |
| Marco Scutaro | 11 | .364 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .462 | 1.007 | .545 |
| Troy Tulowitzki | 2 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 1.000 | .500 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Chris Capuano | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Mark Ellis | 4 | .250 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .400 | .650 | .250 |
| Andre Ethier | 11 | .091 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | .091 | .182 | .091 |
| Tony Gwynn Jr. | 5 | .400 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .400 | .800 | .400 |
| Jerry Hairston Jr. | 7 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .300 | .300 | .000 |
| Matt Kemp | 21 | .429 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | .435 | 1.292 | .857 |
| Adam Kennedy | 5 | .200 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .400 | .200 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .666 | .333 |
| Ted Lilly | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| James Loney | 18 | .444 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 3 | .474 | 1.196 | .722 |
| Juan Rivera | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Matt Treanor | 2 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 1.000 | .500 |
| Juan Uribe | 18 | .222 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | .333 | .555 | .222 |
 Colorado Rockies |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| September 10, 2012 | Ramon Hernandez | Day-to-Day | Left game - Left hamstring strain |
| August 22, 2012 | Dexter Fowler | Day-to-Day | Left game - right ankle injury |
| August 20, 2012 | Eric Young | 15-Day DL | Left intercostal strain |
| August 19, 2012 | Michael Cuddyer | 15-Day DL | Right oblique strain |
| August 19, 2012 | Josh Rutledge | Day-to-Day | Left game - left quad tightness |
| August 14, 2012 | Drew Pomeranz | Day-to-Day | Chest soreness |
 Los Angeles Dodgers |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| September 15, 2012 | Clayton Kershaw | Day-to-Day | Torn labrum, right hip |
| September 09, 2012 | Clayton Kershaw | Day-to-Day | Sore hip |
| September 08, 2012 | Adam Kennedy | 60-Day DL | Strained right groin |
| September 08, 2012 | Matt Kemp | Day-to-Day | Left shoulder strain |
| September 08, 2012 | Adam Kennedy | Day-to-Day | Strained right groin |
| September 03, 2012 | Javy Guerra | 15-Day DL | Left oblique strain |
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Matt Kemp has regained his home-run stroke, the Dodgers keep winning, and yet it still might not be enough to eke into the playoffs.
Josh Beckett earned his first victory in his last five starts and the Dodgers backed him with three homers, beating Colorado 7-1 Sunday for their fifth straight win to stay in contention for an NL wild-card spot.
"This shows what type of club we can be," manager Don Mattingly said.
Kemp, Luis Cruz and A.J. Ellis each hit two-run homers as the Dodgers remained two games behind St. Louis for the second wild card. The Cardinals beat Washington 10-4.
"We still know there's hope," Kemp said. "There's a plan for everything and hopefully our plan is to make it to the postseason. The way we're playing I would like our chances."
The Dodgers have their first five-game winning streak in more than two months. They end the regular season with a three-game series against the NL West champion San Francisco Giants starting Monday at home.
"We've always played San Francisco pretty good. It's going to be a hard-fought battle," Kemp said. "We win out and Cincinnati plays a good St. Louis team, hopefully they sweep them or get two from them."
Beckett (2-3) allowed one run and six hits in six innings, struck out five and walked three for his first victory since Sept. 1 against Arizona. The right-hander had received two or fewer runs in five of his previous six starts with the team, which acquired him in a trade with Boston.
"All we can do is take care of what we do," Beckett said. "We put ourselves in this hole, but we're trying to climb out. We're going to need a little help."
Andrew Brown 's homer leading off the fourth was the Rockies' only run in the three-game series that ended with their ninth consecutive road loss. Until he homered, Colorado had gone 26 innings without scoring.
Jorge De La Rosa (0-2) gave up four runs and five hits in four innings, struck out three and walked none in his third start since Tommy John surgery kept him out for nearly 16 months.
The Rockies have played as many as seven rookies at once, giving manager Jim Tracy an early look at the future.
"But when you bring them here to Los Angeles and play against a club that like this, we're not quite up to speed with that just yet," he said. "But there's a lot of youth and vitality on this club and there's still growing to do. I'm not the least bit disappointed in them. They didn't back off in this series. They played their rear ends off yesterday and they played hard today, but you can't catch balls when they're hit over the fence. You couldn't do that with a veteran club."
Shane Victorino opened the fourth with a single before Kemp's 23rd homer and third in two days cleared the wall in right field, putting the Dodgers ahead for good, 2-1. After Adrian Gonzalez singled and Hanley Ramirez flied out, Cruz homered to make it 4-1.
Los Angeles loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth against Rob Scahill . Ramirez's RBI single scored Victorino, who had three hits. Kemp was thrown out at the plate trying to score right behind Victorino.
Ellis homered in the sixth after Andre Ethier walked with one out, extending the Dodgers' lead to 7-1.
NOTES: Rockies CF Rafael Ortega made his major league debut and reached base four times, including an infield single in his first at-bat against Beckett. ... The Dodgers last won five in a row from July 18-23. ... Los Angeles swept Colorado for the second time this season, with the first coming at home from May 11-13. ... De La Rosa fell to 0-7 in nine career starts against the Dodgers, and Colorado has lost all 13 games in which he's appeared vs. LA. ... The Rockies have not won a season series against the Dodgers since 2007. ... Ellis received the club's Roy Campanella Award before the game from Campanella's daughter Joni. He was chosen by his teammates and coaches as the Dodgers' most inspirational player this season.
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Colorado Rockies
