The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a battle for the playoffs. First, they are fighting the hot San Diego Padres for the Division. If that fails, they are in a prime position in the NL Wild Card. The Phillies are right there with them. The season is winding down and each game has become a must win affair.

On Tuesday, the Dodgers exploded for 11 runs to beat the Colorado Rockies 11-4. The Dodgers put up 3 runs in the 1st inning, 3 runs in the 5th inning, and put the game out of reach with 5 runs in the 6th inning. They scored 11 runs off of 17 hits. Both teams got their licks. The Rockies got 9 hits.

The win went to Greg Maddux. He’s 14-14 on the season, but he’s pitched much better since coming to Los Angeles via a trade. He went 6 innings and gave up 3 runs over 7 hits. He also gave up a home run. Jennings gets the loss for the Rockies. He’s 9-13 on the season now. He went 5 innings and gave up 5 earned runs over 9 hits, including a home run. Martin came in to relieve Jennings and gave up 3 more runs. Field came in next and gave up 2 more runs and recorded just one out.

The Dodgers, thanks to a Phillies loss, are on top of the NL Wild Card by 1 game now. They still trail the Padres by 2 games in the NL West.