Rockies’ pitchers give up 7 home runs, but Desmond ( really) isn’t one of them

LOS ANGELES The Rockies are making the wrong kind of history.

Mired in one of their worst skids ever, thanks in large part to one of the worst pitching staffs in franchise history, and perhaps “juiced baseballs,” they lost 16- 9 to the Dodgers on Monday night.

The Dodgers launched seven home runs, tied for the most ever against the Rockies. The last time that happened was July 2, 2002, by the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field.

Colorado, meanwhile, lost its seventh consecutive game and fell for the 13th time in its last 15 games.

The Dodgers’ seven homers: two each by Joc Pederson and Chris Taylor; and one each by Matt Beaty, Corey Seager and MVP candidate Cody Bellinger. Monday marked the 20th time this season that Los Angeles hit at least four homers in a game, extending its franchise record. The Dodgers are four home runs shy of the single- season National League record of 249.

By the time Monday’s 4- hour, 6minute game was complete — the organist played the “Gilligan’s Island,” three- hour tour theme song in the sixth inning — the Rockies had run through seven pitchers, including outfielder Ian Desmond, who pitched the eighth.

Desmond, throwing mostly sliders, gave up one hit and got two popup outs and a groundout. He also hit a solo home run in the ninth inning, his 16th. Ryan McMahon also homered in the ninth, bringing the evening’s total to 11 dingers.

Starter Peter Lambert and relievers Yency Almonte ( two), Jesus Tinoco, Sam Howard and Jake McGee ( two) all gave up home runs. Only recent call- up James Pazos and Desmond did not give up a longball.

Lambert, going through his big- league baptism by fire, continues to get roasted. It happened again Monday night. The question now is whether the Rockies right- hander, just 22, can handle the heat for the rest of the season or if it’s time for him to start thinking about next year. Which then raises another question: Who do the Rockies have to replace him in a rotation already battered by injuries and holding a 6.01 ERA?

Despite a leadoff home run by Trevor Story ( No. 30) and a tworun blast by Nolan Arenado in the third ( No. 36), both off Walker Buehler, Colorado was never really in the game because Lambert lasted only 1M innings, getting blasted for six runs on eight hits.

Pederson led off for the Dodgers with an enormous home run to center, setting the tone for Lambert’s outing. In L. A.’ s three- run first inning, Lambert hit Matt Beaty with the bases full to push home a run.

Pederson also hit an RBI double off Lambert in the second ( it came inches away from clearing the right- field wall), and then ripped a three- run homer off Almonte in the third. Pederson left the game in the fifth after crashing into the right- field wall while robbing Charlie Blackmon of a home run. The Dodgers announced that Pederson has an abdominal contusion.

Lambert has not won a game since June 11, and the Rockies are 2- 12 in his last 14 starts. More critical for Lambert, his ERA is now 7.19 overall and 7.47 on the road. He has served up 17 home runs in 76L innings.