Rockies 12, Dodgers 5
DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies did their part Sunday to keep the Los Angeles Dodgers from celebrating a division title, completing a three-game series sweep with a 12-5 victory.
Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado hit a go-ahead, three-run homer and had a career-high five RBIs, increasing his major-league leading total to 126.
The Dodgers' magic number to clinch the National League West remained at two after the San Francisco Giants won at Oakland. The Dodgers open a four-game series on Monday at San Francisco.
The Rockies seemed headed for their worst home record ever in a full season after being swept in four games last week by Pittsburgh. But the series sweep enabled the Rockies to finish with a 36-45 home record, matching their home mark in 2012.
The Rockies outscored the Dodgers 27-14 in the series.
The Dodgers' inability to turn a double play cost them dearly in the fourth inning.
With one out and the bases loaded, second baseman DJ LeMahieu hit a grounder to third baseman Alex Guerrero. He threw to second baseman Howie Kendrick, whose high throw pulled first baseman Scott Van Slyke off the bag.
Arenado followed with a three-run homer off starter Alex Wood (11-12). Arenado, who singled home a run in the three-run eighth, has 11 home runs and 31 RBIs this month.
Rockies starter Chris Rusin (6-9) worked 5 1/3 innings and left with a runner on first after throwing 100 pitches. Pinch-hitter Andre Ethier greeted reliever Gonzalez Germen with a single, putting runners on first and third.
Germen got shortstop Jimmy Rollins to fly to short left, but Kendrick was credited with a single to load the bases when his grounder clipped second base umpire Kerwin Danley on a foot. Germen then retired pinch-hitter Chase Utley on a fly to center.
Arenado's sacrifice fly in the three-run sixth came after the Rockies scored on a safety squeeze by LeMahieu, who drove in two runs and scored three. The final run of the inning scored on right fielder Carlos Gonzalez's single.
The Rockies trailed 4-1 after Los Angeles' three-run third. The Dodgers loaded the bases with no outs and hit three weak grounders that netted three runs.
The first was a tapper that Rusin fielded near the foul line. With his glove hand, he shoveled the ball home on a bounce and catcher Tom Murphy was unable to secure it.
Arenado's throwing error brought in an unearned run in the second when he fielded Wood's chopper but threw the ball well beyond first base.
The Rockies got that run back in their half of the inning when left fielder Corey Dickerson hustled a single into a double and scored on pinch-hitter's Rafael Ynoa's double.
NOTES: Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez, who has a pinched nerve in his lower back, was better, and manager Don Mattingly was hopeful he would be in the lineup on Monday. Gonzalez had a scheduled day off Sunday after being scratched from Saturday's lineup. ... OF Yasiel Puig (strained right hamstring), who is rehabbing at the Dodgers' training complex in Arizona, isn't yet playing in games and likely won't be ready for the first round of the playoffs. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 28. ... Rockies SS Jose Reyes was not in the lineup for the fourth straight game and fifth time in six games due to left Achilles tendon soreness. ... LHP Yohan Flande will pitch out of the bullpen, if he returns, manager Walt Weiss said. He has yet to show he can run and field his position after suffering a left patellar tendon contusion when struck with a line drive Sept. 19.