Dodgers beat Rockies, 6-1, in rain-shortened game

KEY MOMENT: As Matt Kemp and Scott Van Slyke walked to the outfield in the middle of the fifth inning, lightning struck near Coors Field. Both players were admittedly spooked. “I’m from Oklahoma, man,” Kemp said. “You see lightning, you go inside. We won’t be hanging outside when we see lightning and thunder. It was pretty close. It was right on top of us.” Van Slyke ran from his position in center field to the infield to stand by one of the umpires. “I was waiting for him to say something,” Van Slyke said. Dan Iassogna never did and the game continued. “It’s not safe,” Van Slyke said. “It’s irresponsible in my book. There was lightning right above the stadium and guys have metal cleats and metal stuff on the top of their hats. A lot of open space. It just takes one strike.” There was a rain delay in the middle of the sixth inning that lasted an hour and 35 minutes. With rain continuing to fall, the game was called. Because the Dodgers were leading before the start of the sixth inning, their statistics from that inning counted.

AT THE PLATE: Kemp tripled in a pair of runs in the first inning. Hanley Ramirez hit a solo home run to start a four-run sixth inning. Rookie Jamie Romak followed with a two-run double and scored on a single by Miguel Rojas. For Romak and Rojas, those were their first career hits and runs batted in.

ON THE MOUND: Clayton Kershaw limited the Rockies to a run and three hits over five innings. He struck out nine and walked none. The only run he gave up came on a fourth-inning solo home run by Troy Tulowitzki.

ON THE MEND: Chad Billingsley threw 30 pitches for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in the first start of his minor league rehabilitation assignment. Billingsley pitched 1 2/3 innings and was charged with a run, two hits, two walks and a hit batter.

UP NEXT: Dan Haren (5-4, 3.50 earned-run average) will face the Cincinnati Reds and Tony Cingrani (2-6, 4.09) at Great American Ball Park at 4 p.m. PDT. On the air: TV: ESPN, SportsNet LA. Radio: 570, 1020 (Spanish).