Dodgers Lose Ground, and There’s a Catch to It

The Dodgers were trapped in another horror show Saturday night at Coors Field, with Preston Wilson providing the most frightening moments during a 5-3 loss to the hot Colorado Rockies.

The Colorado All-Star center fielder made a spectacular catch in right-center in the seventh inning to rob David Ross of a two-run home run that would have tied the score, stunning the Dodgers and bringing an appreciative crowd of 41,696 to its feet.

“Just an incredible, incredible catch,” Paul Lo Duca said. “Rossy just had a great at-bat, you think the ball is gone and the game is tied, then you see him pull it back in, and you almost can’t believe it. Yeah, that one hurt a lot.”

Then Wilson hurt the Dodgers again in the eighth, hitting Paul Shuey’s first pitch of the inning for his 23rd homer.

The two-out solo blast to left field provided a three-run cushion for inexperienced Colorado closer Justin Speier, and Wilson wasn’t finished helping.

After Jolbert Cabrera, who had his first career multi-homer game, opened the inning with his second solo blast to pull the Dodgers within 5-3, Wilson made a nifty running catch on Adrian Beltre’s drive to deep center.

Speier then settled down. He struck out Ross and got pinch-hitter Mike Kinkade to fly out to Wilson.

Speier notched his second save in as many days and fifth overall, completing the victory for starter Jason Jennings (9-6). Dodger starter Andy Ashby (2-6) gave up eight hits and four runs in five innings, losing for the second time in two starts on the trip.

By taking the first two games of the three-game series, the Rockies (50-46), winners of four straight, improved to 5-0 against the Dodgers (48-44) in Coors Field this season. They are 9-1 in the teams’ last 10 meetings.

Moreover, the Rockies are percentage points behind the Dodgers for third place in the National League West -- 8 1/2 games behind the leading San Francisco Giants.

The Rockies today go for their second series sweep of the Dodgers in as many meetings here, and another defeat would send the Dodgers to the All-Star break fourth in the division.

Talk about scary sights.

“The catch by Preston Wilson ... it was obviously very noteworthy,” said Manager Jim Tracy, whose team dropped to 2-4 on a three-city, seven-game trip.

“It would have tied the game and put us in a very good position. But he took a two-run home run away from David Ross.”

Cabrera homered with one out in the seventh to cut the lead to 4-2, and Beltre doubled to chase Jennings. Steve Reed entered to face Ross, who connected on a pitch that put Wilson in the spotlight.

Wilson sprinted toward the Dodger bullpen in right-center, waving off closing right fielder Larry Walker. He then leaped at the wall and brought back the ball, throwing it in as Beltre tagged and advanced to third.

Pinch-hitter Larry Barnes struck out to end the inning, and fans gave Wilson a standing ovation as he was mobbed by teammates in the dugout.

“I saw [catcher] Bobby [Estalella] setting up away, so I’m already a couple of steps over toward right,” said Wilson, who with 91 runs batted in is only the 10th player in major league history to have at least 90 RBIs at the All-Star break.

“I’m just thinking, ‘Cover the gap.’ That’s my gap. As soon as he hit it, I knew it was going to be close, so I just went to find the wall. I was able to go up and get it.”

Conversely, Cabrera had an awful experience in center in the fifth.

The Rockies were leading, 2-0, with one out and a runner on first. Cabrera, still weakened after missing Friday’s game because of a stomach virus, raced in on Ron Belliard’s fly ball, but it soared over his head for a run-scoring double.

Todd Helton, who hit his 20th homer in the third, added a run-scoring single to make it 4-0, and Cabrera felt even sicker.

“I thought he hit the ball off the end of the bat, and I charged the ball just trying to make a play,” said Cabrera, who has six homers. “Unfortunately, the ball carries so much here. My mistake.”