Blake’s 2 homers help Dodgers beat Rockies 9-7 and eliminate them from playoff races

Dodgers eliminate Rockies from playoff races

DENVER — Casey Blake homered twice, Rafael Furcal had two triples and the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the Colorado Rockies from playoff contention with a 9-7 victory Tuesday night.

The Rockies were eliminated from the NL wild card race with their loss and Atlanta’s 3-2 win over Florida earlier Tuesday. Colorado’s fate in the NL West was also sealed when first-place San Francisco beat Arizona 4-2.

James Loney and Matt Kemp homered for Los Angeles.

Todd Helton and Dexter Fowler went deep for the Rockies, who have lost eight of nine.

The Dodgers blew a four-run lead but came back in the eighth off reliever Octavio Dotel (3-4). A.J. Ellis doubled to lead off and Furcal tripled home pinch-runner Chin-lung Hu to make it 7-6. One batter later, Andre Ethier’s sacrifice fly gave L.A. a two-run lead.

The Rockies got one back on Chris Iannetta’s bases-loaded walk in the eighth but Ryan Spilborgh struck out to end the inning. Blake hit his second homer, and 17th of the season, leading off the ninth to restore the two-run lead.

Down 6-2 in the seventh, the Rockies rallied against starter Hiroki Kuroda. Melvin Mora led off with a single and Helton belted his eighth homer to make it 6-4.

Iannetta drew a one-out walk to end Kuroda’s night and reliever Ronald Bellisario gave up a two-run homer to Fowler to tie it.

Bellisario (3-1) got the win, pitching two-thirds of an inning. Kenley Jansen picked up his second save.

The Dodgers jumped on starter Jeff Francis in the third. Kuroda led off with a single and Furcal followed with an RBI triple. Mora’s throwing error on Ryan Theriot’s grounder scored Furcal, and one out later Kemp and Blake hit back-to-back homers to make it 5-1.

Francis allowed five runs, four earned, and six hits, striking out just one in three innings. It was the third consecutive short start for Francis since coming off the disabled list on Sept. 13.

The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the first on Chris Nelson’s double and Carlos Gonzalez’s single.

Notes: Colorado manager Jim Tracy said 2B Eric Young Jr. will have an MRI on his sore right shin and will probably not play again this season. Tracy also confirmed that veteran Jason Giambi will be shut down for the final week of the season. … Rockies 2B Clint Barmes left the team early Tuesday to be with his ailing father.