Chacin, Rockies beat Dodgers 8-0 after knocking out Haeger during six-run first

Chacin blanks Dodgers into eighth, Rockies win 8-0

LOS ANGELES — Jhoulys Chacin made his second stellar start since being inserted into Colorado’s injury depleted rotation, and the Rockies knocked out knuckleballer Charlie Haeger during a six-run first inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-0 on Saturday night.

Ian Stewart hit a two-run homer and RBI single among his three hits. Carlos Gonzales had a three-run double in support of Chacin (2-0), who has filled in brilliantly while Jorge De La Rosa and Jason Hammel have been on the disabled list.

The 22-year-old right-hander scattered six hits over 7 1-3 innings, struck out seven and walked two. Last Sunday he beat the Giants 4-1 at San Francisco with seven innings of one-hit ball for his first big league victory.

Left fielder Manny Ramirez was activated from the 15-day disabled list and singled in four at-bats in his return to the Dodgers’ lineup, after missing 14 games because of a right calf strain.

Haeger (0-4) lasted only 22 pitches — 14 balls — and did not retire any of the five batters he faced. All of them scored, raising the right-hander’s ERA to 8.49.

Seth Smith opened the game with a single and the next three batters walked, including Troy Tulowitzki on four pitches to force in a run. Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt went to the mound for a few words with Haeger, who got ahead of Gonzalez 1-2 before the Rockies’ RBI leader lined a triple inside first base to increase his season total to 25. Gonzalez has 18 in his last 11 games.

Manager Joe Torre yanked Haeger and brought in Ramon Ortiz, who promptly gave up Stewart’s sixth homer. The Rockies have only two home runs in their last eight games, including Stewart’s 12th-inning solo shot in Wednesday’s 6-5 win at San Diego.

Haeger became the first Dodgers pitcher to start a game and not record an out since Aug. 8, 1988, at Houston, when right-hander Shawn Hillegas was pulled by Tommy Lasorda.

Andre Ethier was 3 for 3, increasing his major league-leading average to .394.

NOTES: Haeger’s only other appearance against the Rockies was a relief outing with San Diego on Sept. 16, 2008 at Coors Field, when he gave up a grand slam to Chris Iannetta after walking the previous three batters. Iannetta was optioned to Triple-A on April 27. … Colorado 1B Todd Helton, whose 38 career home runs against the Dodgers are the most he’s had against any team, hasn’t hit one against them in 81 at-bats since his solo shot against Brad Penny at Coors Field on May 2, 2008. … RHP Ubaldo Jimenez takes his major league-leading 0.87 ERA into Sunday’s series finale, trying to become the first pitcher in Rockies history to get off to a 7-0 start. Reliever Gabe White is the only other pitcher in the franchise’s 18-year history to win his first six decisions in a season, finishing the 2000 campaign with an 11-2 record.