Colon notches milestone in loss to Dodgers

LOS ANGELES -- On a night where Bartolo Colon added another milestone to his lengthy career, it proved to be a very long evening for the Rangers.
Texas was routed by the Dodgers, 12-5, Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. The loss marked the Rangers' fifth straight, dropping them to 27-42 this season.
After losing right-hander Doug Fister to a DL stint on Sunday -- a development that has left a hole in Texas' rotation -- the club could have used a strong pitching performance with the 45-year-old righty Colon (3-4) dueling Los Angeles' 21-year-old starter Caleb Ferguson, who was 9 months old when Colon made his Major League debut.
Colon, who entered the night one winning decision shy of claiming the most victories by a pitcher born in the Dominican Republic, will have to wait until next turn in the rotation to try to notch the monumental feat. The veteran, pitching in his 21st season, captured his 2,500th career strikeout in the first inning, but the homer-happy Dodgers chased him after 3 1/3 innings, scoring eight runs on nine hits off of him, including three homers. It's the most hits and runs allowed in an outing by Colon this season.
"Things just kind of fell hard for him," manager Jeff Banister said. "Couldn't get the sinker where he wanted to. It seemed like all of his pitches were getting hit pretty good. Fastball was elevated, and couldn't land the offspeed stuff down in the strike zone."
Colon credited the Dodgers' offense -- which compiled 16 hits -- for its aggressive approach at the plate. Despite a recent rough stretch of outings, Colon doesn't think he's in a lull, performance-wise.
"They took advantage of me," Colon said through a translator. "That's what happens. … They were aggressive and I couldn't hold them."
A seven-spot by Los Angeles in the bottom of the fourth broke the game open after the Rangers responded to the Dodgers' initial output. Adrián Beltré bolstered his All-Star Game candidacy with an RBI single off Ferguson in the third, and Joey Gallo's RBI groundout cut Texas' deficit to 3-2. But Dodgers second baseman Max Muncy blasted a solo shot in the bottom half of the frame before outfielder Yasiel Puig's two-run homer in the fourth opened the floodgates.

Chris Taylor, Yasmani Grandal and Cody Bellinger each logged RBIs to help Los Angeles build an 11-2 lead after four innings. Banister described the Dodgers' uproar as a snowball effect.
"It's one of those things where they're in swing mode," Banister said. "They were hot. They were ready to step into that batter's box."
Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo's solo home run off Dodgers reliever Yimi García in the fifth was not a sufficient rebuttal. Left-hander Alex Claudio, who surrendered three runs during the fourth after replacing Colon, relinquished another run on Muncy's RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth to see the margin grow.

Now 17 games back of the first-place Mariners in the American League West, the Rangers will send left-hander Cole Hamels to the bump in the series finale Wednesday, hoping to end their current skid. Banister noted that improved consistency could open things up for the unit, offensively.
"We've got to find a way to string them together," Banister said. "When we get runners on base, capitalize and drive some runs in." 
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Colon comes up empty: Colon perhaps had the best opportunity of the game to help his own cause when Robinson Chirinos and Rougned Odor drew back-to-back walks to load the bases with two out in the top of the second. Colon put the second offering he saw from Ferguson in play, but weakly grounded back to the mound to end the inning and the threat. The Dodgers pounced on Colon to take a three-run lead the next inning, before eventually chasing him from the contest.
"I don't think about that," Colon said, when asked if he was thinking about hitting a grand slam entering the at-bat.

SOUND SMART
Colon finished the night with three strikeouts, giving him 2,502 for his career and moving him into a tie with Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson for 33rd all-time in career punchouts, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Beltre went 2-for-3 to tie Ichiro Suzuki for the 21st most hits all-time by a foreign player. Beltre collected his 3,088th and 3,089th hits.

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Center fielder Delino DeShields took advantage of Dodgers rookie Ferguson during the top of the first, ambushing the southpaw with a bunt that dribbled back into the infield.
DeShields flew down the line, logging the fastest home-to-first time in the Majors this season, reaching safely in 3.50 seconds, according to Statcast™.
DeShields beat Ferguson's throw to first -- which was dropped by second baseman Muncy, who was covering first -- by racing an elite 30.9 feet per second.

UP NEXT
The Rangers wrap a two-game Interleague set against the Dodgers on Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 9:10 p.m. CT. Left-hander Hamels (3-6, 3.86 ERA) is slated to start for Texas and the Dodgers will counter with Kenta Maeda.