Rockies' 95th loss ties franchise record
The Colorado Rockies' four-game winning streak ended with a thud Friday when they were shut out 8-0 at Los Angeles. The loss was the Rockies 95th of the season, tying the franchise record set in their inaugural 1993 season and 2005.
At 62-95, the Rockies must win their remaining five games to avoid a franchise-record 96th loss and must go 1-4 to sidestep 100 losses.
This was the 10th time the Rockies were shut out this season and first since Sept. 6 at Atlanta. Six of the 10 shutouts have occurred on the road.
The Rockies were no match for left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who allowed five hits -- four singles and Wilin Rosario's lead-off double in the second -- and two walks with 10 strikeouts, nine of them swinging at his curveball. Rosario was one of only two Rockies to reach second base.
Left-hander Jeff Francis made his penultimate start of the season; he's scheduled to pitch the final game Wednesday at Arizona. He gave up six hits and five runs in four innings, raising his ERA to 5.75, the highest it has been since Aug. 22 when it stood at 5.79.
Francis last won Aug. 27 against the Dodgers at Coors Field. He has since gone 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in six starts. During that stretch, he has allowed 40 hits and 20 runs, 19 earned, in 25 1/3 innings.
Francis' big mistake Friday came with one out in the second when Shane Victorino hit a three-run homer that capped a four-run inning. It was the 14th homer Francis has allowed in 104 innings and fourth three-run homer.
Francis had done well lately at keeping the ball in the ballpark. Victorino's homer broke a stretch of 21 1/3 consecutive innings in which Francis had not allowed a home run. After giving up 12 homers in 72 2/3 innings in his first 15 starts, Francis has allowed two homers in 35 1/3 innings in his past eight starts.
Francis also gave up a run in the fourth, which could have been a much bigger inning for the Dodgers. They loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Andre Ethier and Victorino before Francis hit A.J. Ellis with a 2-1 pitch. A run scored when Kershaw grounded into a double play, and Mark Ellis flied out.
The Rockies are 8-8 against the Dodgers this season -- 6-3 at Coors Field and 2-5 on the road.
