Davis rocked again

Dodgers put more big dents in bullpen

With the Dodgers in town and the stakes raised for an August fourgame set, the Rockies’ relievers wilted at Coors Field on Thursday night, turning a potential win for Colorado into one of the toughest losses of the season.

Los Angeles blasted five lategame home runs off the Rockies’ bullpen and posted an 8-5 victory over Colorado, with the deciding strokes coming from Chris Taylor and Brian Dozier off struggling closer Wade Davis in the ninth inning of a back-and-forth affair.

After Tyler Anderson and Ross Stripling both went six strong in- nings and allowed only one run each, the Dodgers capitalized on Colorado’s kryptonite this season — the seventh inning — to retake the lead.

In that frame, right-hander Scott Oberg — who had been solid lately with a 1.80 ERA in his past seven games — yielded a pair of pinch-hit home runs that underscored Los Angeles’ bench depth comparative to that of the Rockies.

Joc Pederson led off the seventh with a solo shot, then Max Muncy blasted a two-out shot, also to left, to extend Los Angeles’ lead to 3-1 and raise Colorado’s season ERA in the inning to a major leagueworst 6.42.

But the Colorado hitters came to the dish in the bottom of the inning with a collective approach that indicated they knew the importance of the series at stake, especially coming off a difficult road trip and a series loss to Milwaukee to open the homestand.

Nolan Arenado started the Rockies’ rally with a single, and a David Dahl walk, an Ian Desmond single, a passed ball and finally Chris Iannetta’s three-run homer retook the lead for Colorado, 5-3.

Los Angeles wasn’t done either, however.

After two quick outs in the eighth, Seunghwan Oh gave up a double to Matt Kemp and then a no-doubt shot to right-center by Cody Bellinger. It was Oh’s first earned runs allowed with the club, and evened the score at 5-5.

Dahl then grounded out with runners on second and third to end the Rockies’ threat in the eighth, and in the ninth, Taylor’s solo homer and Dozier’s two-run shot that followed Yasiel Puig’s single sealed the Colorado loss.

David Zalubowski, The Associated Press Rockies closer Wade Davis was tagged with the loss Thursday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He gave up two home runs in the top of the ninth inning, a solo shot by Chris Taylor and a two-run blast by Brian Dozier. Davis’ ERA rose to 5.51.

David Zalubowski, The Associated Press The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig, left, congratulates Brian Dozier, who crosses home plate after hitting a two-run homer off Rockies relief pitcher Wade Davis in the ninth inning Thursday.