Dodgers get in way of Jennings' pursuit

Pitcher loses game, ground in quest for Rockies ERA record

Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

While the Los Angeles Dodgers were adding breathing room in their battle to advance into the postseason next week with an 11-4 win at Coors Field on Tuesday night, Rockies right-hander Jason Jennings was pretty well putting the wraps on a season of frustration punctuated by personal positives.

The possibility remains Jennings could start the season finale in Chicago on Sunday. That decision won't be made until today.

Jennings wanted a night to sleep on it, but there's no reason to think things are going to look a whole lot different today than they did Tuesday night, when Jennings admitted "the tank is close to empty."

The Dodgers continued their seasonlong domination of the Rockies in which they have won 13 of 17, their most wins ever against the Rockies, and outscored them 100-58.

The victory allowed them to move ahead of Philadelphia in the National League wild-card race by a game and remain two games back of San Diego in the NL West with five games to play.

Jennings? He saw his shot at setting a franchise earned-run average record disappear in a five-inning effort in which he allowed six runs, five earned, raising his ERA from 3.65 to 3.78. He would have to pitch seven shutout innings against the Cubs to break the record 3.66 ERA Joe Kennedy compiled in 2004.

"I don't really care about the record," Jennings said. "I'd have to do something special to get down that low."

There have been special moments for Jennings this season, starting with the way he continued to pitch well despite the limited support he received.

He was only 6-6 in 20 quality starts and has only one victory in his past 11 quality starts. The Rockies scored one or no runs in 13 of his 31 starts, eight of which he has lost despite a 2.95 ERA in those games.

The last couple of weeks, though, have been a struggle. Jennings has given up five earned runs in each of his past three starts, although he did win the two prior to Tuesday.

He has failed to work six innings in four of his past six starts and has a 6.21 ERA in that stretch, raising his season figure from 3.32.

"I think it is fatigue as much as anything," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "He had five walks and zero punchouts. He did not have a crisp fastball. The workload has piled up on him a little bit."

Jennings already has worked 212 innings, the fourth highest total in franchise history and 11 more than his previous personal best.

"I pitched the first game of the year so I'd love to pitch the last game," Jennings said. "But I don't want to go out there half-hearted. I would have rather not thrown (98) pitches in five innings (Tuesday). It would have made it easier. I'll see how my body feels (today)."

In the Dodgers clubhouse, there's a postseason bid on the line, and the Dodgers are back in control of their fate thanks to an offensive outburst keyed by Russ Martin's four RBI and Greg Maddux's six-inning workmanlike effort.

Maddux gave up three runs, but the Dodgers already had 11 runs before he allowed the last two - in the sixth inning when Jeff Baker doubled home one and scored the other on a single by Brad Hawpe, who also homered in the ninth. Garrett Atkins got to Maddux for a home run in the third.

For at least one night, Hurdle's hope that the Rockies could use this final home series of the season to make a statement was put on hold.

"The last three games at home, I can't think of anybody I would rather play because of the way they have manhandled us," Hurdle said before the series opener. "It a chance for retribution. It's a chance to let them know we are not going away."

The chance got away from the Rockies in a hurry on Tuesday, the Dodgers scoring three times in the first when Kenny Lofton tripled home one run and scored another. They added three more in the fifth and then victimized relievers Tom Martin and Nate Field for a five-run rally in the sixth that began with two out and nobody on.

"We haven't been able to handle them, but we have two more shots at them," Hurdle said after the game. "Let's see what happens."

ringolsbyt@RockyMountainNews.com