Colorado Rockies 8, Los Angeles Dodgers 1: Jon Gray, Rockies dominate Dodgers in series opener

The opener of the Colorado Rockies’ nine-game homestand went about as well as they could hope for with an 8-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Starting pitcher Jon Gray set the tempo for the Rockies, pitching six shutout innings, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out eight. He threw 111 pitches, 68 for strikes.

Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda, who had a 1.45 ERA against Colorado in three starts this season, was strong as well, but a two-run home run by Nick Hundley broke the scoreless tie, giving the Rockies a 2-0 lead.

Maeda was pulled for a pinch hitter after throwing 88 pitches in five innings, the Rockies blew the game open with five runs in the seventh inning against the Dodgers’ bullpen.

With one out, Daniel Descalso singled and Ryan Raburn walked against Dodgers reliever Adam Liberatore before Charlie Blackmon extended the lead to 3-0 with an RBI single. DJ LeMahieu then brought home Raburn and Blackmon with a double to make it 5-0.

The Dodgers then brought in right-hander/human rain delay Pedro Baez to pitch, and he allowed an RBI double to Nolan Arenado, walked David Dahl and gave up an RBI single to Gerardo Parra, the 1,000th hit of Parra’s career, to make it 7-0 before finally getting out of the inning.

In the eighth, pinch hitter Stephen Cardullo got his first career hit, a single against lefty J.P. Howell, and came around to score to make it 8-0.

Rockies reliever Matt Carasiti allowed a triple to pinch hitter Andrew Toles, who scored on an RBI groundout from Charlie Culberson.

The Rockies will look to take the series tomorrow with Tyler Anderson on the mound against the Dodgers’ Rich Hill.