Dodgers take first in NL West with comeback win

DENVER (AP) -- Despite sporadic playing time, Sandy Alomar Jr. knows he will get opportunities in clutch situations for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He came through in his chance against the Colorado Rockies.

Elias Says
Alomar Jr. Sandy Alomar Jr. drove in the winning run with a ninth-inning pinch-hit single in the Dodgers' 6-5 victory at Colorado. Alomar has come to the plate as a pinch-hitter 65 times in his career, but Sunday marked only the second time that he drove in a game-winning run in that role (the other was on July 31, 2003 for the White Sox). • For more Elias Says, Click here.

"When I came here I knew what role I would play and that was to be ready to go in case anything happened," Alomar said. "I come early to hit in the cage. I do it every day."

Russell Martin hit a tying RBI double and Alomar followed with a run-scoring pinch-hit single in the ninth inning to lead the Dodgers to a 6-5 victory over the Rockies on Sunday.

"That's what kind of player Sandy is," Los Angeles manager Grady Little said. "He could sit for a week or 10 days and when he is asked to do something he's always ready."

Matt Kemp homered in his first two at-bats for his first multihomer game for the Dodgers. He has six home runs in June and has a hit in each of his starts and 11 of his 13 games in the majors.

Danys Baez (4-3) worked a scoreless eighth inning and Takashi Saito got the last three outs for his fourth save in four chances.

Pinch-hitter Olmedo Saenz doubled with one-out in the ninth off Brian Fuentes (1-1), who blew his second save in 15 chances. Martin followed with his double to tie the score at 5, and Alomar put the Dodgers ahead.

"I haven't played in eight days so I'm just looking baseball," Alomar said. "He threw me the same pitch three times and I took it the other way."

Fuentes blamed a lack of his normal good control. He fell behind the first three hitters he faced before getting ahead of Alomar 0-2.

"The Alomar hit was probably the biggest mistake," Fuentes said. "It was 0-2 fastball that I left up."

"I'll take Tito [Fuentes] out there any day because he's one of the best," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "It was a tough game to lose."

Todd Helton hit a two-run home run and Garrett Atkins had a two-run double for the Rockies, who finished a 3-6 homestand after a 2-7 trip. Matt Holliday had three hits, including two doubles.

Aaron Cook gave up four runs on seven hits over seven innings and avoided losing his fourth straight start. He last won May 19 at home against Toronto.

Derek Lowe, who had won four straight starts, worked the first 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and eight hits. He struck out three and walked two.

Kemp hit a two-run homer to center field in his first at-bat in the first inning. One pitch before, Kemp had fouled a pitch off his left foot and needed time to regroup before hitting a 442-foot drive.

"My foot was hurting, but I saw the same pitch I fouled off my foot," Kemp said. "He thought I was probably looking away and he threw me a good pitch."

The Rockies got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Jamey Carroll scored on Helton's double-play grounder.

Los Angeles increased its lead to 4-1 in the fourth, the first run coming on Kemp's solo shot with one out in the inning. Ramon Martinez drove in Willy Aybar with a grounder.

Colorado scored two runs in the sixth. Cory Sullivan walked and Holliday singled before Atkins drove them in with a one-out double off the wall in center to make it 4-3.

Jonathan Broxton allowed a two-out double to Sullivan in the seventh before Helton put Colorado ahead with his home run to left on 1-2 pitch.

Game notes
OF J.D. Drew sat out with a bruised right thigh. ... RHP Eric Gagne will have his right elbow re-evaluated when the team returns to Los Angeles. ... 1B Nomar Garciaparra had his 13-game hitting streak snapped. ... Colorado RHP Mike DeJean will undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder as early as Wednesday in Denver.