CASPER
New member
DENVER – Jhoulys Chacin scattered five hits over seven sharp innings and Troy Tulowitzki broke out of a hitting funk with a solo homer, helping the Colorado Rockies to a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.
Chacin (1-0) struck out four in his season debut as the hard-throwing righty outdueled Clayton Kershaw (1-1), who lasted six innings and allowed three runs.
The left-handed Kershaw also gave up homers to Tulowitzki and Chris Iannetta, something he rarely does. Kershaw allowed just 0.57 homers per nine innings last season, one of the lowest marks in the NL.
Rafael Betancourt pitched a perfect eighth and Huston Street closed out the ninth for his second save in as many chances.
Tulowitzki, who signed a lucrative long-term deal over the winter, was perhaps pressing, going hitless in his first nine at-bats to begin the year. That dubious streak ended with a towering homer to center in the fourth.
And showing that even in a slump the cleanup hitter is still feared at the plate, the Dodgers intentionally walked Tulowitzki with two outs and a runner on third in the sixth. Jose Lopez followed with an RBI single up the middle, staking Colorado to a 3-0 lead.
Tulowitzki also turned in a nifty play with his glove, ranging deep into the hole at short, leaping and throwing across his body to barely nip Jamey Carroll at first.
Iannetta hit his first homer of the year, sending a 93-mph fastball from Kershaw into the left-field bleachers. He's off to a sizzling start, hitting .444.
Chacin had his first appearance pushed back two days after a rainout Sunday and a scheduled off day Monday. He was antsy early, but settled into a groove. His fastball popping, he worked his way out of one jam after another.
The 23-year-old has typically fared well against the Dodgers in his young career, improving to 4-3 with a 2.40 ERA.
Kershaw was coming off a season opener in which he struck out nine in seven stellar innings against the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
So dominant was Kershaw that Rockies manager Jim Tracy said before the game he belonged on the short list of NL Cy Young candidates.
Chacin (1-0) struck out four in his season debut as the hard-throwing righty outdueled Clayton Kershaw (1-1), who lasted six innings and allowed three runs.
The left-handed Kershaw also gave up homers to Tulowitzki and Chris Iannetta, something he rarely does. Kershaw allowed just 0.57 homers per nine innings last season, one of the lowest marks in the NL.
Rafael Betancourt pitched a perfect eighth and Huston Street closed out the ninth for his second save in as many chances.
Tulowitzki, who signed a lucrative long-term deal over the winter, was perhaps pressing, going hitless in his first nine at-bats to begin the year. That dubious streak ended with a towering homer to center in the fourth.
And showing that even in a slump the cleanup hitter is still feared at the plate, the Dodgers intentionally walked Tulowitzki with two outs and a runner on third in the sixth. Jose Lopez followed with an RBI single up the middle, staking Colorado to a 3-0 lead.
Tulowitzki also turned in a nifty play with his glove, ranging deep into the hole at short, leaping and throwing across his body to barely nip Jamey Carroll at first.
Iannetta hit his first homer of the year, sending a 93-mph fastball from Kershaw into the left-field bleachers. He's off to a sizzling start, hitting .444.
Chacin had his first appearance pushed back two days after a rainout Sunday and a scheduled off day Monday. He was antsy early, but settled into a groove. His fastball popping, he worked his way out of one jam after another.
The 23-year-old has typically fared well against the Dodgers in his young career, improving to 4-3 with a 2.40 ERA.
Kershaw was coming off a season opener in which he struck out nine in seven stellar innings against the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
So dominant was Kershaw that Rockies manager Jim Tracy said before the game he belonged on the short list of NL Cy Young candidates.
