Pinch-hitter Albert Pujols drove the lead run with a single in the 10th, and the Los Angeles Dodgers survived an unusually weak performance by Julio Urías to beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Tuesday night.
The Dodgers have won nine of their last 10 games to continue on San Francisco’s heels in the NL West. Los Angeles started the day a game behind the Giants.
Pujols found a slider from Venezuelan Jhoulys Chacín (3-2) and pushed Gavin Lux, who started the episode as an automatic runner in second base. A large number of Dodgers fans who came to Coors Field cheered Pujols.
Kenley Jansen (3-4) came out of a jam with two on board and a pair of outs in the ninth inning to claim the victory. Brusdar Graterol got two outs in the 10th inning before giving up the mound to Lex Vesia, who took the save, by forcing Colton Welker to hit a fly ball.
Mexico’s Urías, the major league leader with 18 wins, allowed seven hits and four runs over six innings of a no-decision game. He hasn’t lost a match since June 21.
The Mexican left-hander remains the fourth Mexican to reach 20 wins in a season, joining Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers (1986), Teodoro Higuera of Milwaukee (1986) and Esteban Loaiza of the Chicago White Sox (2003). .
For the Dodgers, the Mexican Urías 2-1 with an RBI. The Dominican Pujols 1-1 with an RBI.
For the Rockies, Venezuelans Elías Díaz 5-1 with an RBI, Yonathan Daza 1-0. Venezuelan Antonio Senzatela 2-0. (AP)