Rockies Don’t Buy This Dodger Setup

The Dodgers have been built on a foundation of the major leagues’ top bullpen, which they said wouldn’t be as good without Guillermo Mota.

Of course, even dependable setup men stumble, as Mota did Wednesday night in a 5-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies in front of 25,492 at Coors field.

Mota gave up a go-ahead, two-out, run-scoring single to Aaron Miles in the eighth inning after walking two batters on full counts to load the bases. Miles singled through the hole at short to drive in Jeromy Burnitz, who doubled after Mota had retired the first two batters, as the Rockies took their fourth and final lead.

“The pitches were pretty close, but he made a bad pitch to Burnitz on the double,” pitching coach Jim Colborn said. “He just didn’t make his pitches overall.”

Adrian Beltre had a one-out double in the ninth off Colorado closer Shawn Chacon, and Shawn Green was walked intentionally with two out. But Juan Encarnacion grounded out to end the game, giving Chacon his 23rd save.

The Dodgers (58-42) got another timely home run from Beltre, whose team-leading 29th blast tied the score at 4-4 in the seventh; the fifth homer from Olmedo Saenz, a two-run shot to deep left; and three hits from leadoff batter Cesar Izturis as part of an 11-hit attack.

However, their efforts weren’t enough to prevent the Dodgers from losing consecutive games for the first time since June 25-26 against the Angels. And the National League West leaders also dropped a game in the standings, leading second-place San Diego by 2 1/2.

Burnitz continued to torment the team he played the final 61 games with in 2003. The veteran outfielder hit his 26th homer, third of the series, and provided a spark in the ninth.

The fourth-place Rockies (44-57) have won five of six and could take three of four from the Dodgers with a victory today in the final game of the series. The Dodgers said they would welcome seeing Mota right back on the mound.

“We’re not thinking about what happened out there, and he can’t think about it, because he’s done such a great job for us,” closer Eric Gagne said. “He’s a big reason we’re where we’re at, and you just can’t take him out of the equation.”

Manager Jim Tracy turned to Mota (8-4) to start the eighth after Beltre delivered a 422-foot leadoff homer to center in the seventh, on an 0-and-2 count against Steve Reed (2-2), to tie the score. Darren Dreifort, in relief of starter Jose Lima, was perfect in the bottom of the seventh with two strikeouts.

Colorado ended Lima’s run of consecutive quality starts at four, but Lima still fared better than in his last outing at Coors Field, a 7-1 loss April 22. In dreary weather and awful field conditions, Lima lasted only three innings and gave up seven runs, five earned.

On Wednesday, the Rockies got nine hits, including Burnitz’s homer, and four runs against Lima.

“Dreifort to me, tonight, had as good an inning as he’s had all year long,” Tracy said. “That’s how good his stuff was.”

Mota, who declined to speak with reporters, wasn’t as good as he has been.

Larry Walker grounded out to second and Preston Wilson struck out. Burnitz -- who has six hits and seven runs batted in during the series -- doubled off the left-field wall.

Charles Johnson walked on a full count in a nine-pitch at-bat, and pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney walked on a full-count in a seven-pitch at-bat. On a 2-and-2 count, Miles singled past Izturis.

“Johnson had a real tough at-bat and fouled off a lot of pitches, and he finally just missed for ball four,” Colborn said. “On the next guy [Sweeney], he just had to be careful with him and he walked him. He just didn’t make his pitches.”

But the Dodgers are still behind Mota.

“It’s just one of those things,” Dreifort said. “It’s not going to make him feel any better, but we are where we are because of what he’s done.”