Miserable opener

DODGERS 8, ROCKIES 2 Story leaves with injury; Gray lasts only twoplus innings

LOS ANGELES» The Rockies came into Monday night’s series opener against the Dodgers in first place in the NL West by half a game and facing perhaps one of the most pivotal September road tests in franchise history.

Consider part one of the test failed, and miserably so, as the Rockies flipped first place back to the Dodgers via Los Angeles’ statement 82 win.

Adding insult to the loss in which Jon Gray imploded and the offense noshowed for the third time in four games was the fact that allstar shortstop Trevor Story exited due to an apparent right arm or wrist injury.

Los Angeles began the blowout with Joc Pederson’s solo home run to lead off the first inning, and more traffic led to another run to make it a 20 Dodgers lead after one.

And after setting down the Dodgers in order in the second inning, in the third Gray imploded in a fashion similar to the pressurepacked wildcard game in Arizona last season, when the righthander was tagged for four runs in oneplus innings.

Pederson stirred trouble again by leading off the frame with a double, Justin Turner followed with a single, and Manny Machado’s single scored Pederson. The knockout blow then came via Max Muncy’s 400foot, threerun homer to make it 60, after which Yasiel Puig’s single chased Gray as manager Bud Black began figuring out how to limit the damage of the inevitable defeat.

But bullpen management would prove to be the least of Black’s issues when Story was pulled from the game in the middle of his atbat in the fourth inning. The shortstop appeared to be favoring his right arm after a diving

play in the field earlier in the game, and was lifted in favor of Pat Valaika after grimacing following a missed swing on a 21 changeup.

With the Dodgers already working into the Rockies’ bullpen and one of Colorado’s marquee players in the training room, Los Angeles turned on the afterburners.

Pederson caused more damage in the bottom of the fourth inning with a tworun homer off Harrison Musgrave to push the score to 80, and from there the Rockies’ offense couldn’t muster anything against HyunJin Ryu (seven innings, four hits, no runs), while eighthinning RBI singles by DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado came far too little, too late.

Alex Gallardo, The Associated Press An injury forces Trevor Story (27), accompanied by manager Bud Black, to leave Monday night’s game at Dodger Stadium during his atbat in the fourth inning. Pat Valaika was forced to finish Story’s atbat in the Rockies’ loss to Los Angeles.

Alex Gallardo, The Associated Press Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray, left, walks off the mound after being pulled by manager Bud Black, who confers with catcher Drew Butera and first baseman Ian Desmond during the third inning Monday night at Dodger Stadium.