Another rough outing for a Dodgers starter

DENVER – Six games removed from the All-Star break, the Dodgers are still looking for a quality start from one of their pitchers.

Hiroki Kuroda became the latest Dodgers starter to be hit hard, as he gave up five runs in six innings of a 5-3 loss today to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Dodgers, who lost two of three in Colorado, fell 1 1/2 games behind first-place Arizona in the National League West. The Diamondbacks play host to the Chicago Cubs tonight.

For Kuroda (5-7), the start was an improvement over his previous one in Arizona, when he lasted only two innings and gave up six runs in the Dodgers’ first game out of the break.

In the Dodgers’ six games in the second half of the season, their starting pitchers have posted a combined earned-run average of 8.77.

The five runs charged to Kuroda were scored in the first three innings.

The Rockies took a 2-0 lead after a four-hit first.

The Dodgers tied the game in the second, when Andy LaRoche singled in Jeff Kent and was later brought home on a hit by backup catcher Danny Ardoin, who made a rare start in place of Russell Martin.

But the Rockies put up three runs in the third. Jeff Baker started the inning with a triple to right and scored on a double by Matt Holliday. Brad Hawpe doubled to drive in Holliday and went home on a single by Ian Stewart.

Andruw Jones doubled in James Loney in the fourth to close the gap to 5-3.

The Dodgers got a solid effort from reliever Chan Ho Park, who tossed two scoreless innings.

Glendon Rusch (4-3), who limited the Dodgers to three runs and seven hits over five innings, earned the victory.

 dylan.hernandez@latimes.com