Dodgers use eight-run sixth to keep rolling in 11-3 win over Rockies

Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’. Keep them Dodgers rollin’.

Ah, yes, life is suddenly pretty good for the Boys in Blue. They’re winning, the San Francisco Giants are losing and everybody in their lineup is hitting. Hitting so much that even when fifth starter Roberto Hernandez blows up again, it matters not.

Hernandez couldn’t get out of the fourth, but the Dodgers shrugged and responded by scoring eight runs in the sixth inning Monday, romping to an 11-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

With the Giants falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-2, the Dodgers increased their lead in the National League West to four games. And they reduced their magic number to nine.

The Dodgers sent 12 batters to the plate in the sixth (the first seven reached base), collecting seven hits, a walk and a hit batter. They did not have one homer in the inning, but did have three doubles -- by Justin Turner, Hanley Ramirez and Juan Uribe.

Twice in the inning, they came to bat with the bases loaded. They are hitting a major-league worst .168 with the bases loaded, but Turner and Adrian Gonzalez, who singled, each delivered.

The eight runs were the most the Dodgers had scored in one inning in three years.

It hardly hurt the offensive cause that the opponent was the Rockies, who not only have the worst record in the National League but the worst earned-run average (4.86) in the majors.

But since Friday, when the Dodgers lost 9-0 to the Giants and saw their divisional lead trimmed to a single game, things have pretty much gone their way. It’s a hot, late summer’s day and everyone else is sticky and miserable while the Dodgers are lounging by the pool, all relaxed and sipping on an umbrella drink.

It wasn’t exactly like their 17-0 blowout win Saturday, but anytime a team scores eight runs in a single inning, they’re going to be feeling pretty good.

Uribe had three hits and drove in a run. Dee Gordon, Yasiel Puig, Gonzalez and Ramirez each had two hits. Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer. Gonzalez added three RBIs to take over the National League lead (106 to Giancarlo Stanton’s 105).

The Dodgers collected 15 hits against seven different Colorado pitchers, though they all kind of looked the same.

They could almost overlook the latest outing by Hernandez. After going 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his first two starts since coming to the Dodgers from the Philadelphia Phillies, he is 1-3 with a 6.14 ERA in five games. He has failed to go five innings in his last three consecutive starts.

Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly showed he’s in stretch-run mode, taking Hernandez out with the bases loaded and two outs with the score tied 2-2 in the fourth.

That worked out too. Mattingly used seven pitchers himself Monday, because September rosters are so cool. Right now, much like the Dodgers.