Dodgers keep their roll going

They met in the dugout five minutes before the national anthem. They walked out to the bullpen together. And they preserved their team's lead, this time with Chan Ho Park, Scott Elbert, Cory Wade and Scott Proctor combining to post three scoreless innings in a 7-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field that maintained the Dodgers' 3 1/2 -game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West. The third-place Rockies fell 9 1/2 games out of first place.

Asked about the bullpen, Dodgers Manager Joe Torre nodded his head and said, "Obviously, you're never comfortable in this ballpark."

Especially when holding on to a two-run lead, which is what the Dodgers had to do until James Loney's three-run double in the top of the ninth made it unnecessary for Torre to call on interim closer Jonathan Broxton.

Taking over for Chad Billingsley (15-10), who pitched six innings and gave up two runs, the Dodgers' bullpen lowered its earned-run average to 0.14 over its last 12 games, a span in which the team has won 11 times. The group will welcome an addition tonight when closer Takashi Saito is activated from the 60-day disabled list.

"We have a lot of confidence right now," Park said. "I think the other teams are thinking about us."

Park was the first out of the 'pen, forcing Clint Barmes to ground out to start the bottom of the seventh and giving up a hit to Matt Holliday.

Brad Hawpe was five for nine lifetime against Park, so when he came to the plate, Torre brought in rookie left-hander Elbert, who struck Hawpe out.

Wade finished the inning by getting Garrett Atkins to ground out and retired the side in the eighth. In 9 1/3 innings over eight games since he was activated from the disabled list Aug. 28, Wade has given up only one run -- and that was in his first game back.

Proctor, who retired the side in the ninth, offered the idea of the relievers' meeting in the dugout before games and walking out to the bullpen together. The suggestion came during a preseason meeting.

"It's better to be united because everybody's going to have to pull someone else out of a situation at some time," Proctor said.