Dodgers’ win streak reaches six with 6-3 victory over Rockies

It’s a roll now, a real-life, can’t-be-denied winning streak.

The Dodgers won their sixth consecutive game Saturday night, dropping the Rockies, 6-3, before a Dodger Stadium crowd of 45,912 to take over first place in the National League West.

There has been a definite theme to the streak -- solid starting pitching, good relief and very good offense. In each of the six victories the Dodgers have scored at least five runs.

They collected nine hits Saturday, four of them doubles. They took a night off from the long ball and still generated plenty of offense.

The Rockies opened the scoring with a run in the first when Charlie Blackmon led off with a double to right. One out later Troy Tulowitzki lined a single to left to score Blackmon. When left fielder Andre Ethier initially failed to scoop up the ball and dropped it, Tulowitzki advanced to second. After Zack Grienke hit Justin Morneau with a pitch, Juan Uribe turned a nice double play on a chopper to third.

The Dodgers tied it in the bottom of the second when Howie Kendrick led off with a double and Yasmani Grandal singled him home, and they took the lead with a run in the third.

Grienke collected his first hit of the season, then the Dodgers loaded the bases on a walk and Yasiel Puig’s single. Adrian Gonzalez’s ground ball to shortstop Tulowitzki should have been an inning-ending double play, but second baseman DJ LeMahieu’s relay throw bounced and first baseman Morneau couldn’t come up with it as Greinke scored.

The Dodgers extended their lead with two runs in the fifth. Joc Pederson walked and Greinke’s bunt sacrificed him to second. Right-hander Jordan Lyles then loaded the bases with a pair of walks before Gonzalez unloaded a two-run single.

Gonzalez has had a hit in each of the Dodgers’ first 11 games and in 13 consecutive games dating to last season. On Saturday he tied Eric Karros’ club record with 23 hits in the team’s first 11 games. He has 14 runs batted in to lead the major leagues this season, after leading the majors with 116 last year.

Greinke had been cruising after the first, allowing only one more hit until Nolan Arenado led off the seventh with a double on which Ethier turned the wrong way. Greinke looked like he would pitch out of trouble when he got the next two outs, but LeMahieu crushed a two-run homer to pull the Rockies within a run.

That ended the night for Greinke (2-0), who allowed three runs, five hits and a walk, with one strikeout.

The Dodgers got the runs back in the seventh on doubles by Jimmy Rollins, Puig and Kendrick. The offense seemed almost on cruise control.

The Dodgers bullpen continued its strong recent work, Chris Hatcher, J.P. Howell and Joel Peralta holding the Rockies scoreless the rest of the way. Peralta earned his third save of the season, the most he’s had since notching a career-high six in 2011.

Follow Steve Dilbeck on Twitter @stevedilbeck