Dodgers’ rally falls short in high-scoring affair against Rockies
Dave Roberts looked to avoid using two of his top three substitutes on Wednesday night after de facto getting closer EvanPhillips was pitcher and builder for the last three games Brusdar Graterol was a pitcher in three out of four games.
With a two-run lead in the sixth inning and dark storm clouds gathering over Coors Field, the Dodgers’ manager had no choice but to resort to a pair of lower-leverage arms in hopes of closing the gap between the starters Michael Grove and back-end replacements Yency Almonte and Caleb Ferguson.
The bridge buckled under left-hander Victor Gonzalez and collapsed under right-hander Nick Robertson, who gave up five runs and four hits combined at the bottom of the sixth inning to eventually lose 8-9 to the Colorado Rockies.
The Dodgers had hit six runs in the fourth inning, a rally capped by Mookie Betts’ triple home run, and were leading 6-4, and Grove, who gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings of a spot start, said the team was eliminated in the fifth round in a row.
Gonzalez knocked out Nolan Jones in three throws and opened the end of the sixth court before Randal Grichuk blasted a single into midfield and secured third place with a double from pinch-hitter Jorge Alfaro to right center. Gonzalez hit No. 9 batter Brenton Doyle with a pitch to stress the bases and was replaced by Robertson.
Jurickson Profar forced a run to cut the Dodgers’ lead to 6-5. Ezequiel Tovar followed up with a three-run double that saw him jump across the right-center wall to give the Rockies an 8-6 lead, a ball Dodgers centerfielder James Outman caught late but he probably would not have caught anyway . Ryan McMahon hit it, but Elias Diaz put an RBI single down the middle for a 9-6 lead.
The Dodgers rallied for two runs in the eighth to reduce the lead to 9-8. Jason Heyward and David Peralta provided the boost with singles, Yonny Hernandez hit a victim fly to the left, Betts walked and Freddie Freeman hit an RBI single to the middle.
Will Smith walked to load bases with two outs, but JD Martinez knocked out a 2-and-2 sweeper by right-hander Justin Lawrence to end the inning. Lawrence retired from the team to end the game with two strikeouts in the ninth game.
The Rockies led 4-0 for three innings thanks to an RBI single from Harold Castro in the second and a third run with a bloop RBI single from CJ Cron, who left his bat at 68 mph and trailed 236 feet moved left. Midfield and Grichuk’s two-run bloop single, who left his racquet at 65.6 mph and covered 226 feet to left center.
The Dodgers countered with a six spot at the head of the fourth, a rally that started with walks to Smith and Miguel Vargas and a single bloop to center field by Miguel Rojas that slammed bases with an out.
Outman flew to flat middle, runners held, but Jonny DeLuca took a full count down and in fastball from Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland for ball four to put him on a run.
Hernandez followed with a broken bat and a two-run single down center to put the Dodgers 4-3, and Betts hit a first-pitch turn 404 feet to left field for his 20th home run of the season, one Three-run shot that gave the Dodgers a 6-4 lead.
