By JOE REEDY (AP Sports Writer)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ezequiel Tovar homered and had three hits, Dakota Hudson allowed only one run and four hits in seven-plus innings and the Colorado Rockies defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 on Friday night.
Hudson (2-7) entered the game with only 17 runs of support, the fifth-fewest runs in the majors among pitchers with at least 10 starts. The Rockies, though, took the lead with three runs in the fourth followed by Tovar’s solo shot in the fourth off Walker Buehler (1-3). It was his fifth homer in May.
Hudson — who struck out three and walked one — allowed only one Dodgers baserunner to get into scoring position in the first seven innings before tiring in the eighth. Gavin Lux led off the inning with a double into the left-field corner and Miguel Rojas drew a walk to end the right-hander’s night.
“We just couldn’t muster anything tonight against him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about facing Hudson. “Third time through, I thought we got some balls in the air, and just missed swings. But outside of that, our guys couldn’t really manage much.”
Hudson, who typically throws his curveball 10.9% of the time, threw it 30 times out of his 101 pitches against the Dodgers.
“It was one of those days where I had it going and I used it however I felt like,” Hudson said. “Honestly I was shaking yes a lot to (catcher) Elias Díaz. It was a good pitch and it changed the approach that they had for it.”
Jalen Beeks went 1 1/3 innings for his sixth save in nine opportunities.
The Rockies, who took home series against NL East-leading Philadelphia and AL Central leaders Cleveland, have won five of seven.
Los Angeles has the second-best record in the NL and came in with momentum after a sweep at the New York Mets. But Buehler struggled early and the offense wasn’t able to string anything together.
“It’s a confidence builder for sure,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “It’s good for our guys to be able to beat these teams, and in a way take it to them and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Buehler, who made his fifth start since coming back from Tommy John surgery in 2022, allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits with four walks and seven strikeouts.
“Physically, I’m probably exceeding where I thought I was gonna be, but performance-wise, you know, I feel like (not good),” Buehler said. “I think it’s kind of put up or shut up time for me, at least mentally. These last two outings, I haven’t been good enough.”
Lux scored the Dodgers’ run when Mookie Betts grounded into a double play with the bases loaded.
Colorado had the bases loaded with one out in the first but Buehler got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts.
The Rockies broke through in the third with three runs. After Kris Bryant’s RBI base hit, Brendan Rodgers lined a single to left-center that went under the glove of Dodgers’ center fielder Andy Pages and rolled to the wall, plating two more.
After Tovar’s homer, Buehler retired the last seven batters he faced.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: OF Nolan Jones (low back strain, left knee) has reported to Triple-A Albuquerque and could begin playing in rehab games on Saturday.
Dodgers: RHP Evan Phillips was activated off the injured list after being sidelined since May 5 due to a right oblique strain. … RHP Bobby Miller (right shoulder inflammation) will make his second rehab start for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.
UP NEXT
Colorado RHP Cal Quantrill (4-3, 3.53 ERA) went 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA in May. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5-2, 3.51) takes the mound for Los Angeles.
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