DENVER (AP) — Will Smith and Trayce Thompson each hit a two-run homer, Julio Urías pitched seven strong innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers continued their torrid July with a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.
The Dodgers overcame 13 runners left on base and a shaky ninth inning by Craig Kimbrel to improve to 20-4 this month and 67-32 overall, both the best marks in the majors.
Smith added a single and reached base four times, while Urías (10-6) used a fastball-changeup-curveball mix to hold the Rockies to two runs and four hits. Urías has allowed three runs over 20 innings in his last three starts to lower his ERA to 2.71.
“I feel like I’m on a good run,” Urías said through a translator.
Evan Phillips struck out two in a hitless eighth before Kimbrel loaded the bases and gave up Randal Grichuk’s two-run single. With Grichuk on second and two outs, Kimbrel got Ryan McMahon to foul out to Thompson in left field to secure his 18th save.
“That was a play we needed. That was going to be Craig’s last hitter,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, Roberts said Kimbrel remains his closer, but added “performance matters” when asked about his inconsistency.
“There’s one outing where he’s efficient, commanding the baseball, getting the swing and miss and the next one we’re up to near 30 (pitches) to get three outs,” Roberts said. “I know Craig is frustrated.”
Chad Kuhl (6-6) threw a three-hit shutout the last time he faced the Dodgers on June 27, but has an 8.71 ERA since and has failed to get through five innings in his past three starts.
He gave up three hits in the first inning. Smith’s 435-foot drive to left came on a 1-2 sinker. Thompson jumped on a first-pitch sinker in the second and his 430-foot shot to center made it 4-0.
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