Dodgers Can’t Defeat Rockies or the Weather

Dreary weather and awful field conditions punctuated the conclusion of the Dodgers’ trip Thursday, a 7-1 loss to Colorado in six innings.

The Dodgers acknowledged lacking rhythm on a cold -- 42 degrees at game time -- wet and windy day, producing only two hits and committing as many errors in the rain-shortened game in front of an announced 19,667 at Coors Field.

“The worst game I’ve ever played in,” third baseman Adrian Beltre said. “You couldn’t feel your hands or your ears.... It was ridiculous.

“I was looking at the umpire like, ‘Why are we playing today?’ He just kind of looked back at me like, ‘I don’t know.’ We shouldn’t have been playing.”

After the Rockies delayed the start 1 hour 10 minutes in anticipation of a storm that didn’t materialize as expected, they raced to a 7-0 lead in the third, when it began raining.

Colorado starter Shawn Estes (3-1) overcame the weather, earning his second victory in as many starts against the Dodgers. Jose Lima (2-1) didn’t respond as well to the elements, which contributed to the Rockies’ four-run second.

Although they dropped two of three to the Rockies in their first losing series of the season, the Dodgers expressed satisfaction about going 6-3 on the nine-game trip, sweeping rival San Francisco and winning five in succession at one point.

“We cannot be disappointed about having won six out of nine on this road trip, that’s for sure, in the three places that we have played,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “To win six out of nine, knowing that we’re going to go home now and start a nine-game homestand, you have to feel awfully good.”

The Dodgers escaped Thursday before an expected snowstorm hit the Denver area, saying that was the only good thing about the final day of the trip.

“You can see how miserable it was,” said Lima, who gave up six hits and seven runs -- five earned -- in three innings. “No excuses, they swung the bats, and Estes pitched real good. You’ve got to give credit to the guy.

“But this is not baseball weather. You cannot even get loose. The ball is wet all the time. I’m glad nobody got hurt from our team. This is not good weather to play.”

The Dodgers were frustrated about the Rockies’ decision to start the game after the lengthy delay, considering the weather worsened as the game progressed.

“I was under the understanding that they were expecting some hard rain to begin with,” Tracy said. “It was kind of misting when we started, and we waited an hour. It was not only cold, but it was wet. The grass was soaked, and the dirt was soaked.

“You’re not going to take any chances with baserunners on a track like that. Looking back on it, you’d have liked to have had that hour to play. But we don’t make those decisions, we just have to live by them.”

The Rockies took command in a four-run second against Lima, getting an assist from a soaked infield.

Lima struggled to get the ball down in the strike zone, giving up a leadoff home run (No. 6) to Vinny Castilla. Beltre’s first error prolonged the inning, and Matt Holliday scored the Rockies’ final run when shortstop Jose Hernandez’s errant throw pulled first baseman Shawn Green off the bag.

Hernandez said he had difficulty because the ball had gotten drenched rolling on the wet grass.

“When the ball is hit to you, it was already wet,” said Hernandez, in the lineup because Cesar Izturis had a sore throat. “You could hardly feel your hands.”

The Dodgers were also displeased that the game was finally stopped after another 36-minute delay, although the weather had not changed from the outset.

“It was raining like that the whole game,” said Paul Lo Duca, who started in left field. “It was bad out there the whole game, so either you play it or you don’t. Either call the game or play it.”