Rockies 8, Dodgers 6
DENVER -- Carlos Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning Saturday night to give the Colorado Rockies an 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The inning began when second baseman D.J. LeMahieu grounded the first pitch from Yimi Garcia (3-3) into center field. Gonzalez then drove Garcia's 3-1 pitch over the center field wall for his 39th homer of the season.
It was Gonzalez's second career walk-off homer. The other was July 31, 2010, against the Chicago Cubs.
The winning pitcher was Justin Miller (3-2), who retired the side in order in the eighth.
The Dodgers' magic number to clinch the National League West remained at two after the San Francisco Giants won earlier in the day.
Rockies starter Kyle Kendrick turned in his latest poor performance. He squandered a 6-1 lead and gave up six runs in five-plus innnigs. Kendrick's overall ERA rose to 6.54, and his ERA at Coors Field swelled to 7.62.
Kendrick surrendered three hits to start the sixth with runs scoring on second baseman Chase Utley's single and third baseman Justin Turner's double. Brooks Brown came on and yielded a first-pitch double to right fielder Andre Ethier that tied the score at 6.
In four starts this month since right shoulder inflammation caused him to miss all of August, Kendrick is 2-2 with a 7.04 ERA.
Third baseman Nolan Arenado hit a first-inning grand slam -- his 40th home run of the season -- helping the Rockies build a 6-3 lead through the fifth.
The Rockies tacked on single runs in the second on LeMahieu's single after center fielder Charlie Blackmon's triple, and in the third on back-to-back doubles by left fielder Corey Dickerson and first baseman Justin Morneau.
Arenado's grand slam was the third of his career and first since May 3, 2014, against the New York Mets. He is the seventh player in Rockies franchise history to hit 40 home runs in a season, something that has been done 11 times but not since Todd Helton hit a franchise-record tying 49 in 2001.
Arenado's drive over the wall in center on a 2-2 fastball came after starter Brett Anderson yielded three singles to start the inning. Anderson gave up a season-high tying 10 hits and six runs in four innings.
It was the second straight start he has yielded 10 hits and failed to pitch five innings.
Kendrick gave up a leadoff walk followed by a two-run homer in the second to Ethier. It was the major-league leading 33rd homer allowed by Kendrick.
Pinch-hitter Alex Guerrero singled to short center -- the ball went off the glove of LeMahieu, who was running with his back to the plate -- to cut the Rockies' lead to 6-3 with two outs in the fifth.
NOTES: Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez was scratched from the lineup because of a pinched nerve in his lower back. He'll get two days off since he wasn't scheduled to play Sunday. ... Dodgers OF Kike Hernandez (left hamstring strain) will join the team Monday at San Francisco and be activated. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 31. ... Rockies RHP Miguel Castro, who last pitched Sept. 14, is done for the season because of lower back stiffness. ... Rockies SS Jose Reyes was not in the lineup for the third straight games due to left Achilles soreness. ... Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu returned to the lineup. He has had lingering soreness in his left shoulder, left Thursday's game after aggravating it on a swing and didn't play Friday.