Dodgers go Back to Back, Beat Rockies 5-2 on Vin Scully Day

"I have always felt that I needed you, more than you need me." – Vin Scully

The Dodgers need just two more wins to clinch their fourth consecutive NL West division title after they defeated the Colorado Rockies, 5-2, on Vin Scully Day at Dodger Stadium.

"It's getting smaller," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the number of wins combined with Giants losses in order to clinch the division.

After an hour long pregame ceremony that paid tribute to the legendary broadcaster, Joc Pederson and Andre Ethier went back-to-back in the fourth inning to lead Los Angeles over Colorado.

"That was a neat ceremony to start the game," Ethier said. "You can see what he means to this organization and the fans. Being selfish, what he means to me, and all the games in my career he's called. He's probably called every at-bat I've ever had in this stadium. I've been extremely lucky and I was able to reflect on that."

The Dodgers choked back their emotions from saying goodbye to their broadcaster long enough to jump out to an early two-run lead.

Thursday night's hero, Yasmani Grandal, kick-started the action with a two-run broken-bat bloop single to right field that scored the first two runs of the game for the boys in blue. 

Grandal has now knocked in seven runs in the last two games, and 12 overall in 14 games against Colorado this season. 

Dodgers starter Scott Kazmir lasted just one inning after he left the game before the second frame with spasms in his right rib cage area. 

"It was the same thing I felt in OKC," Kazmir said of the intercostal injury. "Everything in my right side tightened up. It was tough for me to swallow to only go one inning. I'm thankful the bullpen picked me up."

Kazmir was activated off the 15-day disabled list before the game, and was making his first start since Aug. 22nd. It's doubtful he starts again this season.

Ross Stripling (5-8) entered the game in his familiar role as "emergency starter," and shutdown the Rockies for three consecutive innings.

"It's interesting every time," Stripling said of his emergency relief role. "We heard that Scott [Kazmir] wasn't feeling quite right, so I went down and got ready. Then I was told he wasn't coming back out for the second, so I was able to get ready ahead of time. Thankfully, I was able to give us three zeroes and keep the momentum on our side."

Pederson and Ethier went back-to-back off Colorado starter Jon Gray in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was the ninth time the Dodgers have gone back-to-back this season, and the first home run of the year for Ethier.

"They told me to 'stay ready' and so I was prepared for the at-bat," Ethier said of the pinch-hit. "I was able to watch Joc's at-bat and he threw him a lot of pitches. He threw me a breaking ball and I put a good swing on I and was able to double-up with Joc right there."

Pederson flexed his power on a towering fly ball to right-center on his 24^th dinger of the year, and 50th of his career. Ethier followed with a first-pitch home run to right that wrapped just inside the foul pole. For Ethier, it was his fourth career pinch-hit home run, with his last one coming on Aug. 13, 2013. 

Gray (10-9) was chased after the inning, allowing four runs on three hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts in four innings.

"I had no fastball command," Gray said in the clubhouse. "I was just trying to keep us in the game without it. I really didn't have a good feel. Without a fastball, it's incredibly tough to succeed."

The right-hander's double-digit strikeouts gave him 26 in his last two games, the most in a two-game span in Colorado Rockies history. It was the sixth time this season Gray has recorded 10 or more strikeouts in a start. 

Nolan Arenado hit his NL-leading 40^th home run of the season as the Rockies scored their only two runs of the game in the top half of the sixth inning. 

"It's elite. He's doing big time stuff," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of his third baseman. "To do that in his first few years in the league, he's a special player."

Arenado leads the Major Leagues in RBIs with 129, and became the third Colorado Rockie's hitter to belt 40 or more home runs in conseuctive seasons, joining Vinny Castilla and Andres Galarraga, immortal members of the "Blake Street Bombers" from the mid-nineties. 

Chase Utley scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh to give the Dodgers a much-needed insurance run.

Kenley Jansen once again pitched a perfect ninth inning for his career-best 47^th save of the season. 

Los Angeles now leads the NL West by seven games over the San Francisco Giants who lost in San Diego earlier in the night. The Dodgers lowered their magic number to just two games, meaning they can clinch the division and a playoff spot as earlier as Saturday. 

Players of the Game:

Joc Pederson: Home run.
Andre Ethier: Home run.
Yasmani Grandal: Two-run single.

Three Takeaways:

1. Vin Scully Day: It was a sellout crowd at Dodger Stadium as 53,000 fans gave a standing ovation to the Hall-of-Fame broadcaster in an hour-long pregame celebration. Scully said that everyone wants to know what he's going to do after he retires. His answer? "I'm going to live!"

�� #VIN pic.twitter.com/G8MbDwOkuc — MLB (@MLB) September 24, 2016

2. Win For Vin: Vin Scully announced that he would not do any radio or tv broadcasts for the Dodgers during the playoffs. Scully said he may attend a game if they reached the World Series, but primarily he'll watch on T.V. Did you know, that Scully is the youngest broadcaster to ever call a World Series game? He was just 25 in 1955 when the Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in seven games.

Vin Scully was the youngest broadcaster ever to call a World Series game at 25 years old in 1955. #ThankYouVin #VinScullyDay #WinForVin — Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) September 24, 2016

3. Thank You, Vin: After he drops the mic in San Francisco for the final time, Vin Scully will have been the announcer for the Dodgers for 24,274 days, over half of the games in franchise history. We'll miss you, Vin.

We'll miss YOU, #VIN. pic.twitter.com/PWMMkLCXUN — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 24, 2016 

Up Next:

Rockies (73-81): Colorado starts Chad Bettis on Saturday.

Dodgers (88-66): Los Angeles will throw Clayton Kershaw to the mound with a possible chance to clinch the division at 6:10 PM PST.