Gonsolin starting case for playoff rotation

If their last starts are an indication, it’s going to be a real battle among Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Julio Urías for the Dodgers’ final starter spot going into the postseason’s best-of-three first round.

Gonsolin, cemented into the current rotation with the Deadline trade of Ross Stripling to Toronto on Monday, rewarded management’s confidence Saturday night with six solid innings in the Dodgers’ 5-2 loss to the Rockies at Dodger Stadium that snapped a six-game win streak.

• Box score

Colorado defeated reliever Blake Treinen and the Dodgers’ defensive shift in the top of the ninth inning with three consecutive hits the other way, then a two-run opposite-field double by pinch-hitter Josh Fuentes off Alex Wood.

But Gonsolin struck out eight without a walk and was charged with two runs (one earned) on three hits in a 75-pitch no-decision, Charlie Blackmon homering for one run and doubling before scoring the other. On a strict pitch count, Gonsolin has no decisions in all five starts and hasn’t thrown more than 84 pitches.

“Overall, really good,” manager Dave Roberts said in the postgame critique. “The slider was good, the fastball velocity was good. The command wasn’t good with the fastball, there was a lot of middle-middle. But he and [catcher Austin Barnes] worked really well with the split-change. He didn’t have it early, but I thought he got into a rhythm there the last couple of innings. He continues to grow and get better each outing.”

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Gonsolin was coming off a three-inning no-decision in Texas, where he had to work out of a lengthy bases-loaded jam to keep the game close.

“I had a rough outing in [Arlington], so to come out and have a performance like today is awesome for me, confidence-wise,” he said.

This was Gonsolin’s fifth start this season and first allowing more than one run. He hasn’t allowed more than three hits in any of those starts.

“Goes to show my stuff is working,” said Gonsolin. “I feel like I’m competent when I throw the ball across the plate -- they won’t hit it or will get soft contact, and if they hit it well, our positioning has been great. Early on with the splitty not really working, the slider was there, so I went to it a little bit more. It was sharp and breaking later, so I kind of rolled with it. It was great to have it and hope it stays there.”

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May threw 5 2/3 effective innings on Friday night with a breaking ball breakthrough and Urías gets the ball Sunday coming off his best start of the year as the tryout plays out throughout the month of September.

In Gonsolin’s start, the slider provided a third pitch when he couldn’t rely on fastball command.

“He had really good sliders to [Nolan] Arenado and [Trevor] Story,” Roberts said. “Just having weapons to get left and right out, if something isn’t on point one night you can still have a secondary to get to. This is a fastball-hitting league, so you’ve got to have something else to keep guys off balance.”

Gonsolin had trouble with only one Rockies batter. Their first run scored in the second inning on an error by Mookie Betts, of all people. After Blackmon’s leadoff double, Kevin Pillar sent Betts to the wall to haul in his high fly. With Blackmon tagging to third, Betts dropped the ball on the transfer and Blackmon scored from second.

Blackmon took care of Colorado’s second run by himself in the fourth inning, curling a 3-2 splitter inside the right-field foul pole for his fifth home run.

“I missed a few balls over the plate to him and he made me pay,” Gonsolin said of Blackmon. “Took a really good swing on the splitter for the home run. Just need to make better pitches.”

Rockies right fielder Sam Hilliard, who’s already hit five home runs at Dodger Stadium, stole one in the bottom of the fourth, reaching over the top of the fence to rob Cody Bellinger.