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Dee provides spark as Dodgers handle Rockies

LA's catalyst triples twice, drives in three runs to back Ryu

DENVER -- Whether Don Mattingly's Wednesday night criticism will trigger a season turnaround, the immediate response Friday night was a 7-2 win over the Rockies and scripted postgame comments needing no censor.

Dee Gordon went wild on offense, Hyun-Jin Ryu won his fourth consecutive start since coming off the disabled list and Hanley Ramirez filled reporters' notebooks with a message more stunning than his two stolen bases when asked about the manager's blunt and profane assessment of his team's recent play.

"So, we're not playing good," Ramirez said in agreement. "We've got to start playing better. If we don't like it, play better. We're on the same page. We have to get it together. Just one goal. We don't play for the back of the jersey, we play for the front of the jersey. One team, one family."

Ramirez had two hits and two RBIs along with his steals while batting second for the first time this year, driving in Gordon both times. He said he was happy to comply with a new spot in the batting order.

"I just want to win," he said. "Donnie is doing anything he can to make things happen. I said I'm all for it. Let's do it."

All Gordon did was triple twice, single, drive in a career-high three runs, score twice, walk and steal a base with a six-run cushion. Already leading the Majors with 36 steals, Gordon took over the National League lead in triples with six. One of them followed a double by Ryu (7-2), who hung in for six innings and the win.

"It's just fun getting on base," said Gordon, whose little brother, Nick, was the fifth player taken overall Thursday by Minnesota in the First-Year Player Draft.

The Rockies lost their eighth consecutive game, while the Dodgers improved their road record to 19-11.

"Our at-bats were good," said Mattingly. "I thought the guys were good. We played a good, clean game."

It was Ryu's first start at Coors Field's mile-high elevation, and he said he threw extra pregame pitches in the bullpen to get adjusted to the effects of thin air on his feel for the ball.

"I could tell right away why a lot of pitchers don't like throwing here," he said. "Gripping the ball was tough today. It's such a hitter's park. I just tried to keep the ball low."

The Dodgers gave Ryu the comfy lead over hard-throwing Eddie Butler. Butler, who was called up from Double-A to make the start for the Rockies, was the 10th rookie starter the Dodgers have faced this season. 

"The guy has got a very bright future in this league. He showed big time stuff," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "The Dodgers had some timely hits so the line [wasn't] all that pretty. He's a big-time arm. His fastball was beating the bat a lot of times tonight. He showed a very good changeup. Very poised, good pace. He's going to help us."

Gordon gave the Dodgers an aggressive start, pulling a triple down the right-field line and scoring easily on a groundout to shortstop by Ramirez. The Dodgers also scored off Butler in the second inning. Andre Ethier flicked a one-out single into left field, took second as Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki robbed Justin Turner of a hit and was doubled home by Drew Butera.

The unlikely power tandem of Ryu-Gordon combined in the fifth inning, Ryu doubling over the head of right fielder Charlie Blackmon. He chugged home on Gordon's second triple, this one in the right-center alley. Ramirez then singled home Gordon. The last Dodgers hitter with two triples in a game was Rafael Furcal in 2010, also at Coors Field.

In the sixth, a single by Turner and walk by Butera were cashed in by Gordon's two-run single.

The Rockies had baserunners five of his six innings, but Ryu escaped nearly each jam. He lost a shutout when Drew Stubbs hit a one-out solo homer in the sixth, and one out later, Michael McKenry doubled and Charlie Culberson tripled him in for the other Colorado run.

The Dodgers' daily bizarre play of the game came in the seventh inning, when Matt Kemp and first-base coach Davey Lopes exchanged handshakes as Kemp believed he had just hit a home run, only to see the ball carom high off the center-field fence.

Kemp took off for second and slid in safely, but Weiss challenged the call, and it was overturned after review, with Kemp ruled to have been tagged by Tulowitzki while he briefly lost contact with the bag popping up from his slide.

Yasiel Puig led off the ninth with a single to center, stole second and eventually scored on Kemp's sacrifice fly.

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com.
Read More: Los Angeles Dodgers, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dee Gordon