Rockies get to Nathan Eovaldi and Dodgers in a hurry, go on to win, 7-6

Nine batters and 41 pitches later, the Dodgers were down five runs. A game that had just started was essentially over.

The Dodgers could never climb out of the first-inning hole Nathan Eovaldi put them in Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium and lost, 7-6, to the Colorado Rockies.

With the tying run on second base in the seventh inning, second baseman Jamey Carroll grounded out. The Dodgers’ next six batters went down in order, and the team’s winning streak was over at five games.

Eovaldi (1-2) gave up five runs in four innings, the first time the rookie right-hander had not pitched at least five innings in his five major league starts. The big blow in the five-run first inning was Kevin Kouzmanoff’s bloop three-run double that right fielder Trent Oeltjen couldn’t catch while charging in.

“I felt like I went out there and battled well and threw good pitches,” Eovaldi said, “it was just broken-bat singles and everything kept falling through.”

Though the Dodgers are closely monitoring Eovaldi’s workload, Manager Don Mattingly said the 21-year-old would make at least one more start. He has pitched 129 innings between the major and minor leagues, exceeding his previous career high of 981/3 from last season.

Eovaldi said he was OK with the Dodgers’ plan to let him finish the season in the bullpen.

“It’s whatever they want,” he said. “I don’t really have a say in it, I guess.”

Jaime Jarrin to return

The Dodgers savored another off-the-field comeback Sunday.

Two days after Vin Scully announced that he would return for a 63rd season with the Dodgers, Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrin said he would also come back for 2012.

Jarrin announced during the Dodgers’ Spanish radio broadcast Sunday that he would return for a 54th season.

“The Dodgers have invited me back for another season, so you will have to be by my side again,” Jarrin joked with analyst Fernando Valenzuela during the second inning. “I love what I do. It’s something I love and it brings me great joy to work alongside you and Pepe Yniguez.”

Jarrin has been with the Dodgers since 1959, one year after the team moved to Los Angeles, and once had a streak of nearly 4,000 consecutive games spanning 22 seasons before it was ended when he worked the 1984 Olympics.

Short hops

Eugenio Velez remains hitless in 28 at-bats this season, but the utilityman has a run batted in after hitting into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. … Shortstop Dee Gordon, on the disabled list because of a bruised right shoulder, was 0 for 2 with a walk in the first game of a rehabilitation assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. Mattingly said Gordon probably would play three games before rejoining the Dodgers. … Mattingly said the Dodgers would call up 10 or fewer minor leaguers Thursday, when major league rosters can expand to 40. “There needs to be a purpose” for the promoted players, Mattingly said. “We’re going to keep playing and trying to win games.”

ben.bolch@latimes.com