Dodgers On Deck: Dodgers vs Rockies Series #17 Recap

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Los Angeles Dodgers (38-16)  |  Colorado Rockies (23-29)

 

The Dodgers went on a scoring tear this series. putting up 33 runs in four games and sending balls into orbit like the space program. With the number one seed going into the postseason, The Dodgers have yet to take their foot off the pedal this season. This series saw the Dodgers taking three of four from Colorado, another series win, and reach the milestone of a league leading 100 homeruns during this set.

 

 

Los Angeles Dodgers vs Colorado Rockies Series #17

 

Game 1 – Win 9-3

The Rockies started another series with the Dodgers, and game one did not disappoint. In the first inning, Julio Urias threw an alarming twenty-six pitches, but he would get in a groove and go five and two thirds to help secure a win. “We’ve talked about it, and we got to continue to talk through it and make adjustments, whatever it might be,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of his pitcher’s first-inning troubles. “We got to keep working, and Julio understands that, too.”

With this outing only allowing three hits, it will make decisions more difficult for Dave Roberts on who to have throw in a game three situation.

This would be a closely contested game until the seventh when the Dodgers went off for six runs and made it a decisive lead heading into the eighth inning. Now with an 8-2 game, Dave Roberts would have to look to the bullpen to help hold the lead.

The Dodgers pitching line (9.0, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 R 4 SO’s 1 HR) was excellent and helped secure the win. This will need to be the case moving forward if they do not want to be eliminated early in this postseason. The bats will also need to be in tune to help with spotty pitching in these big game situations on the horizon. The Dodgers will look to do the same in game two.

 

 

 

Game 2 – Win 15-6

The Dodgers came out and dominated in game two. Scoring fifteen runs at Coors field and showing how scary this team can be, the Dodgers, with this win, clinch home-field advantage in the wild card series. This may not sound like a big deal with teams playing at a neutral site, but the fact of the matter is, having the final chance to score and end a game is really all that teams should be concerned with.

“We need to continue to put the pressure on teams and play like we’re going to play in the playoffs,” said Betts, After being one of three Dodgers to have three RBI’s.

The home runs from Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, and Gavin Lux helped make this a decisive win in Colorado. “The whole team kind of went crazy,” Bellinger said. “Can’t take the foot off the gas.” This is true in a sport that is heavily based on being hot at the right time, mentality, and momentum. Colorado found out how good this Dodger lineup could be as the entire starting lineup recorded at least a base hit. It was inspiring to see the lefties of this Dodger lineup turn it up a little. After all, none of the lefties in the order are batting over .222 entering this game.

This was another bullpen style game that saw the Dodgers using seven pitchers, and none of them staying out more than two innings. The pitching line (9.0, 11 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO 1 HR) for the game was nothing to write home about, but, with the offensive scoring outburst, it didn’t matter.  Mitch White (2.0, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO), in only his second outing and his longest, recorded the win for the team. Now with a chance to split the series, the Dodgers look to grab at minimum one more game and take another one from Colorado.

 

 

Game 3 – Win 6-1

The Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (7.0, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO) had another phenomenal outing. He cemented his place for a start in game 1 of a postseason series. #22 stayed out for seven fantastic innings, only allowing four hits and a run. He only threw 86 pitches in those seven with six strikeouts and no walks.

Kershaw said after the game, “It feels good to pitch well here and get a win. It’s a tough place, you just try and do your best here,” With these last few outings, he’s proving in these later years why he will be a first-ballot guy.

This Dodger team takes another series with this win, giving the Rockies their fourth straight loss. The scoring was spaced out between the 1st (2), 4th (1), and 7th (3) innings, and all of it came from two guys. Chris Taylor and A.J. Pollock both hit jacks, and Taylor added a triple as well as driving in three runs. Taylor hit a triple in the first and drove in two. His homer was a solo blast in the fourth. Pollock’s twelfth home run came in the seventh on a solo shot.

Austin Barnes and Mookie Betts both scored on a wild pitch and a throwing error to finish that seventh and all but seal the game. The Dodgers only needed Jake McGee (1.0, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO) and Kenley Jansen (1.0, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO) for an inning apiece to finish the game after Kershaw’s strong outing. They have one more game against the Rockies to try and sweep the series in Coors field.

 

 

Game 4 – Loss 6-3

In the final game of the series, The Dodgers saw themselves in a stalemate with the Rockies for three innings until the Rockies threw up a deuce in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. Tony Gonsolin (5.0, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO) gave up the two runs on a single to Fuentas that scored Pillar and Tapia. Gonsolin’s outing was not all bad, considering the big single in the fourth being the only runs given up.

Ten strikeouts was closer to an exceptional outing, really. The only scoring before the eighth inning of the game from the Dodgers came in the seventh when Edwin Rios smoked a single and scored Max Muncy, also moving Bellinger to third. The seventh inning has been a strong point and the comeback inning for the Dodgers this year, but ultimately the one run would not be enough to tie or take the lead.

That bats in this game happened to be cold, compared to the last three games that saw them scoring thirty runs combined. The pitching past Gonsolin is what really hurt the Dodgers. Blake Treinen (0.1, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO) had another rough outing, only going one-third of an inning and not helping at all to keep the game in reach by allowing three runs on three singles and more guys across the plate. Victor Gonzalez, Pedro Baez, and Alex Wood finished off the game combining for four hits and one run.

A.J. Pollock hit a shallow single in the ninth that scored two runs and made it a 6-3 Rockies lead, but unfortunately, this would not be enough for the Dodgers, and they would lose the final game of this set. They will leave Coors field, taking three of four impressively, and hit their league-leading 100th home run of the year in this series. The Dodgers hope to bring the energy from these games into those games against Oakland.

 

 

Oakland Athletics Series Preview

 

Tuesday, after the Dodgers’ day off on Monday, they will begin a series against the Oakland Athletics. This will be a three games series before they meet with the rival Angels. The Dodgers are coming off another dominating series against the Rockies and are looking to keep it up with the playoff-bound Athletics. The Athletics have also clinched a playoff birth with the best record in the American League West (33-19). The Dodgers will have a hard task ahead of them with Oakland, and they could be looking at a possible World Series preview.

 

 

Scheduled to pitch in game 1 Tuesday, 9/22

Dodgers: RHP Dustin May (1-1) / Athletics: RHP Frankie Montas (3-4)

 

 

Schedule to pitch in game 2 Wednesday, 9/23

Dodgers: LHP Julio Urias (3-0) / Athletics: LHP Sean Manea (4-3)

 

 

Schedule to pitch in game 3 Thursday, 9/24

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (6-2) / Athletics: RHP Mike Fiers (6-2)

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-Rich Decristan – Franchise Sports Media

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