Roger Arrieta
LOS ANGELES—They say, “all good things must come to an end”. Unfortunately, “they” happened to be right after Sunday. The Dodgers gave up a pair of runs in the eighth and dropped a 7-6 decision to Colorado which ended their 13-series unbeaten streak to start 2020. Los Angeles is now 10-1-3 in series this season.
The usually strong Los Angeles bullpen was the trouble spot on Sunday. The six Dodgers’ relievers gave up three key runs including the two game-winning scores in the eighth after LA had taken a 6-5 lead in the sixth.
The loss drops the Dodgers’ season record to 30-12 while the Rockies climb to the .500 mark at 20-20. LA still holds a 5.0 game lead in the NL West with 18 games remaining in the 60-game regular season.
GAME RECAP: It was a back-and-forth excursion during the entire game in the series finale with the teams combining to lead the game on six different occasions. There were also two tie scores after the first inning as both teams tried to grab the win in the series. Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the first on Corey Seager’s 10th long ball of the year. The Rockies responded by taking their first lead of the contest when they scored twice in the second. Like the Dodgers’ first-inning run, Colorado grabbed a 2-1 lead when No.8 hitter Josh Fuentes hit a 2-run homer to left field that scored former longtime Dodger Matt Kemp. LA countered with a Will Smith solo shot in the bottom of the second to tie the game at 2-2.
Colorado took its second lead of the game with another 2-run inning in the fifth. No long balls were needed as they scored their two runs on three hits – all of which were singles. Seager tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when he crushed a first-pitch fastball way up into the right field bleachers. The tape-measure shot was measured at 427 feet and it came off the bat at 111.3 mph.
The Rockies then retook the lead in the sixth when No.9 hitter Garrett Hampson tripled to center field which plated Kevin Pillar who led off the inning with a 7-pitch walk. Los Angeles would take their second lead of the night in the bottom of the sixth – and once again it would come via the yard shot. AJ Pollock reached on a single up the middle and then Chris Taylor showed some “oppo” power by clearing the fence in right field on a 1-out, first-pitch fastball.
The game was won in the eighth on, not surprisingly, another home run. Kemp, who was most likely playing in his final game in Dodger Stadium, turned on an 0-1 cutter from Caleb Ferguson and sent it into the left field seats for the game-winning 2-run shot. LA tried to stage a ninth-inning comeback. Edwin Ríos and Gavin Lux got on base with 2-out walks but then Seager grounded out to second to finish off the game.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
SERIES STUFF: The last time the Rockies beat the Dodgers in a series was back in 2018 when Colorado took three of four in Coors Field on Aug. 9-12. LA went 9-0-1 in series against the Rox since that series in 2018.
SIX SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT: The 7-6 loss marked the first time all season that the Dodgers had scored at least six runs in a non-extra inning game and lost (LA dropped a 10-8 decision in 11 innings to San Francisco on Aug. 25). Before Sunday, the Dodgers were 20-0 on the year when they put up at least six runs.
OBSCURE STATS OF THE NIGHT: The Dodgers are now 5-5 in 1-run games this year. They are also 25-3 when they lead after seven innings and 1-9 when they trail after eight innings of play.
URÍAS STUFF: Julio Urías gave up four earned runs for the second time in his last three starts. He went only 4.1 innings, allowed five hits and two walks. He did tie his season high for strikeouts with six. The ironic twist about his half-dozen Ks is that the other time he fanned six batters, he also gave up four earned runs. Urías has a 3.86 ERA and a 1.312 WHIP for the season but in his last three starts he has posted a 5.65 ERA and a 1.395 WHIP.
SEPTEMBER STINKS: Don’t be surprised if Ferguson decides to take the rest of the month off. He entered the final month of the regular season having only allowed one HR in 15 appearances and sporting a svelte 0.63 ERA with a 1.000 WHIP. The calendar flipped to September and his pitches have become beach balls to opposing hitters. He has allowed a home run in each of his three appearances in September. Ferguson’s ERA is a hefty 22.50 ERA and his WHIP is 4.500 WHIP in the 2.0 innings pitched.
SEAGER SOARS: Seager was one of three Dodgers to post a multiple-hit game on Sunday. He was 2-for-4 with 2 HR, 3 RBI and 2 RS. He has now hit safely in nine straight games, which a season best, and upped his on-base string to 15 games. Seager is hitting a team-best .331 which is seventh in MLB this year. He also upped his slugging percentage to .634 which is eighth highest in the majors and he is one of only 11 players in MLB to own an OPS over 1.000.
SMITH SLUGS: Smith’s second-inning homer was his third in the last four games and fourth in his last nine contests. During that 9-game stretch, Smith is hitting .310 with a slugging percentage of .793. He also posted his second straight multiple-hit game on Sunday as he went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
POLLOCK POKES: Pollock was the third hitter in the Dodgers’ makeshift lineup on Sunday to come up with more than one hit. He went 3-for-4 and is now batting .284 for the season. It was his third multiple-hit game in the six games of September. Pollock is hitting .391 (9-for-23) in the month of September.
ON DECK: The Dodgers will have the first of their two off days this week on Labor Day on Monday. LA will then fly, or drive, to Arizona to start a 3-game series with the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers will then have another off day on Friday before hosting the Asterisks for two games on Saturday and Sunday. Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May are scheduled to start for LA in what could be a preview of the playoff rotation. The Top 3 Dodgers’ starters will go up against Luke Weaver (R), Taylor Clarke (R) and Madison Bumgarner (L).
GET IT OUT OF THE POOL! Can we be the first to hope that Max Muncy takes Bumgarner deep on Thursday and tell him to get it out of the pool!
