Colorado Is Only Latest Rocky Road for Dodgers

By JASON REID

May 23, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

DENVER —

Maybe the Dodgers could play worse on the road, though that might require extraordinary measures.

They have been awful away from Dodger Stadium and their poor performance continued Tuesday night in an 11-8 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

The club with the National League West’s worst road record dropped to 2-6 on their trip that ends today, and 8-15 overall before 41,563.

The Rockies pounded reliever Matt Herges (1-4) for three hits and three runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Colorado setup man Gabe White (1-3) and closer Jose Jimenez (ninth save) also struggled but did enough correctly in the wild game.

Four Dodger pitchers combined to give up 14 hits, negating the Dodgers’ 12 hits and strong performances of Paul Lo Duca and Marquis Grissom.

With Eric Karros sidelined because of a strained back, Manager Jim Tracy shuffled the lineup, putting Lo Duca at first base and in the leadoff spot, among other changes, to help jump-start the offense.

Lo Duca homered in his second game off the disabled list. He matched his career high with three runs batted in.

Grissom also had a big game. He was three for five with his eighth homer, scored three runs and drove in two. However, much more is needed when the Dodgers hit the road.

They have the division’s best home mark at 16-7--but that only matters at Chavez Ravine.

“You don’t know what it is, you could point out a few things,” second baseman Mark Grudzielanek said of the Dodgers’ road woes. “You could probably name different things . . . It could be anything. We just have to try to be more sharp and take advantage of situations when they do come to us.”

Chad Kreuter hit a solo homer, his first of the season, in the seventh against White to give the Dodgers a 7-6 lead.

Then the Rockies overwhelmed Herges and Terry Adams in their half of the inning.

They batted around for the second time, scored four runs with two out and took command, 10-7.

Juan Pierre, Todd Helton and Todd Walker had run-scoring singles, and Neifi Perez contributed a run-scoring triple.

After squandering a three-run lead, the Dodgers scored three runs in the sixth against reliever John Wasdin to tie the score at 6-6.

Colorado starter Denny Neagle gave up five hits and three runs in five innings and left in position to earn a victory.

Wasdin wasted his work.

Grissom doubled to start the inning and scored on Lo Duca’s two-out, 446-foot shot to left-center.

Jeff Reboulet singled and scored the tying run on Grudzielanek’s double. In two-thirds of an inning, Wasdin gave up four hits and three runs.

The Rockies batted around, scored three runs and went ahead, 6-3, in the fifth while chasing Gagne.

Perez singled and Larry Walker hit Gagne’s first pitch into the seats in left-center for his 16th homer.

A one-out walk to Todd Walker and Greg Norton’s single put runners at the corners and sent Gagne to the dugout.

Gregg Olson relieved Gagne and gave up Ron Gant’s run-scoring single before escaping a bases-loaded jam when Pierre hit into a fielder’s choice.

It was not a good night for Gagne, who was coming off a strong six-inning start in his previous outing against the Montreal Expos.

On Tuesday, Gagne gave up six hits and was charged with six runs in 4 1/3 innings. He was out of sync in a 99-pitch outing, walking three and hitting two batters.

“It’s more mental than it is Coors Field,” said Gagne, whose earned-run average increased from 4.56 to 5.15. “Of course, if you make mistakes, it might go a little farther. But if you don’t make mistakes and keep the ball down . . .

“I didn’t keep the ball down and it cost me a lot today. Three walks, two hit by pitch. You get runners on and nothing good is going to happen.”