Dodgers aren’t putting up a white flag yet, rally to beat Rockies, 7-6

Had the Dodgers quit on the season?

The question was posed to Manager Joe Torre before Sunday’s game, with the Dodgers having lost 13 of their previous 17 games to fall out of playoff contention, and Torre having announced he’s not returning to manage next year.

“Sometimes when there’s really not as much at stake . . . you don’t do it well,” Torre acknowledged of his players. But, he added, “I don’t think anybody has quit.”

The Dodgers then proved his point against Colorado, clawing back from a 6-1 deficit to defeat the Rockies, 7-6, on A.J. Ellis’ walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning at Dodger Stadium.

Not only did the win break the Dodgers’ four-game losing streak, it was the first time they had overcome a five-run deficit to win since June 2, 2009, and the first time the often-punchless Dodgers had scored seven runs in a game since Aug. 26. The loss dropped the third-place Rockies 1 1/2 games behind the San Francisco Giants, the new leaders in the National League West.

“It just feels good to win again, it’s been a tough couple days,” said Ellis, a rookie reserve catcher who got the winning hit against Rockies reliever Manny Delcarmen with the bases loaded.

Ellis’ hit came after Rafael Furcal and Matt Kemp hit back-to-back doubles off Colorado closer Huston Street to tie the score, 6-6, in the ninth inning, and after the Rockies nearly went ahead in the top of the 11th against struggling Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton.

After Colorado loaded the bases against Broxton with two out, Torre pulled Broxton and brought in left-hander George Sherrill, who struck out left-handed Carlos Gonzalez, the league’s leading hitter, with a slider to end the threat.

Clayton Kershaw, coming off a shutout against San Francisco, the first complete game of his career, started Sunday and hoped to extend his streak of 29 consecutive scoreless innings against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

Instead, the Rockies pounced on Kershaw for six runs (two unearned) in the first two innings. “The team bailed me out,” said Kershaw, who gave up four hits and walked four in four innings. “I was just throwing way too many pitches in the first two innings.”

Ellis said “it felt really good to pick up Clayton, he’s picked us up all year long.”

Ellis stands out

When the Dodgers acquired catcher Rod Barajas from the New York Mets in August, they sent Ellis back to the minor leagues — but not before Ellis collected three hits in his final game. “He’ll be back,” Torre said.

And Ellis has picked up where left off since rejoining the Dodgers, getting eight hits in his last 11 at-bats. He capped the spree by going to a full count against Delcarmen and then hitting the game-winner Sunday.

“I was able to get that 3-2 count and be aggressive on a fastball,” said Ellis, who had never faced Delcarmen and got some last-second advice on the reliever from Dodgers batting coach and manager-to-be Don Mattingly.

Torre said Ellis, 29, has “been tireless” in trying to improve his hitting since being called back up Sept. 5. “He’s been the first one here every day, in the [batting] cage.”

It’s unclear where Ellis would stand next spring among the Dodgers’ catchers; Russell Martin is recovering from a hip injury and Barajas will be a free agent after this season. Regardless, “at some point in time you’re not going to able to send [Ellis] to the minor leagues anymore,” Torre said.

Rumor du jour

Now that Torre has said won’t return to manage the Dodgers next year, speculation abounds that he might manage another club. The latest rumor: The New York Mets, with whom Torre started his managing career in 1977.

But Torre, 70, said “there’s absolutely no legs to this story,” which he called “irresponsible.”

“I’ve had absolutely no conversation of any kind, and nobody I know has had a conversation of any kind, with anybody,” he said.

james.peltz@latimes.com