Roger Arrieta
DENVER—In a season where the Dodgers have the best record in baseball, have the most home runs in the majors and now lead all teams in run production, putting up season high numbers in runs and hits could only mean one thing: a big-number victory. Los Angeles scored at least four runs in three different innings, pounded out 17 hits and razed the Rockies 15-6 in the second game of the 4-game series.
The Dodgers had all nine players in the batting order get at least one hit, had seven players with multiple-hit games scored and pushed their run total to 24 in the two games at Coors Field as they ran their current win streak to four games.
Los Angeles’ 9-run win, coupled with a Miami Marlins loss, also clinched a home series in the Wild Card round of the 16-team MLB playoff format. The Dodgers are now 37-15 in 2020 and will be one of four National League teams to host a best-of-three series in the opening round of the playoffs.
GAME RECAP: The Dodgers never trailed in Game 2 of the series at Colorado. LA took a 4-0 lead in the second, added five more runs in the fifth to push the score to 9-3, upped the lead to 11-3 in the sixth before countering Colorado’s three runs in the bottom of the sixth with a 4-spot in the seventh.
The biggest news for the LA offense was the reemergence of lefty sluggers Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy. Bellinger started Friday’s scoring spree by hitting a 2-run homer to center field in the second. His 11th blast of the year scored Muncy who had walked on the previous at bat. Gavin Lux made it three in the second when he uncorked on a slider and hit a 453-foot bomb halfway up the second deck in right field. The 2-run shot plated Edwin Ríos who went the other way on a pitch and doubled down the left field line. The Rox would counter with three of their own in the bottom of the frame. All runs crossed the plate when Josh Fuentes hit a 3-run homer off of LA starter Alex Wood.
The 1-run lead would last until the fifth when the Dodgers scored five times on four hits. The most amazing stat of the 5-run fifth was that LA didn’t have an extra-base hit. Austin Barnes was hit by a pitch and took second on a Mookie Betts walk. A throwing error and singles from Chris Taylor, Muncy, Bellinger and A.J. Pollock upped the lead to 9-3. The Dodgers scored twice in the sixth to make the score 11-3. Betts hit his 16th homer of the year and then Taylor doubled into the left-center field to score Seager from first after Seager reached on single.
Colorado got to within five in the sixth when they scored three runs off of reliever Dylan Floro but the Rockies’ excitement was quickly tempered when the Dodgers posted another 4-run inning in the seventh to bring the final total to 15-6. LA also came through with five more hits in the seventh. Bellinger led off the inning with a double to left field and then scored on Ríos single. Lux replaced Ríos at first on a fielder’s choice putout and moved to second on a Taylor single. Both Lux and Taylor scored when Betts hit a ball that barely eluded former teammate David Pillar’s glove in center field and rolled to the wall in the left-center gap. Betts scored on the next at bat when Seager singled into center field.
MAGIC NUMBER: The “magic” number for the Dodgers to clinch their eighth straight NL West title is now 4 with 8 games to play. Any combo of wins by LA or losses by the Padres that total four will earn the Dodgers their eighth straight NL West championship.
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED SATURDAY: If the playoffs were to start on Saturday, the Dodgers would be the No.1 seed and host No.8 Cincinnati. The Reds have rattled off six straight wins, are 8-2 in the last 10 and are in second place in the NL Central with a 26-26 record.
BEST OF THE WEST: The win pushes the Dodgers’ record to 26-12 against teams in the NL West this season. LA owns a 6-2 record against the Rox this year and has won at least six games against all four teams in the division. The Dodgers are now 339-232 against the division since they started their NL West championship streak in 2013.
HE SAID IT: “I think that was a punch in the mouth and we responded well. We just have to keep playing like that. We need to continue to put pressure on teams and play like we are going to play in the playoffs.”—Mookie Betts on whether the loss in the first game of the series at San Diego was the catalyst to the team playing much better and winning four straight.
RAKING THE ROCKIES: Los Angeles has scored at least five runs in six of the eight games played against Colorado this year and is averaging 7.75 runs (62) in those eight games.
OBSCURE STAT OF THE NIGHT: The Dodgers roughed up right-handed starter Ryan Castellani for eight runs in 4.1 innings pitched in Game 2 of the series. LA is now 26-11 when facing a righty starter. The 26 wins are the most of any MLB team against right-handed starters.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGHS: The 15 runs put up by LA on Friday is four more than their previous season high of 11 which came four times (including once against the Rox on Aug. 23. The 17 hits also betters a season-high mark for the year which also came against Colorado this year. The Dodgers had 15 hits against the Rox on Sept. 4. Los Angeles has now put up at least 10 hits in 19 games in 2020 and are 17-2 in those contests.
300 (AND MUCH BETTER THAN THE MOVIE): The 15 runs on Friday helped the Dodgers get over the 300 mark for the season. LA has scored 303 runs in their 52 games which now leads all of MLB. Their 5.83 runs per game average is better than their 5.47 rpg average last year. The Yankees led MLB last season with a 5.82 rpg average.
CALIFORNIUM: The homers hit by Bellinger, Lux and Betts bring Los Angeles’ season total to 98. That tops all teams in the majors and is a 1.88 HR per game average which is better than last year’s mark of 1.72 HR/game. The Dodgers led the NL last season with 279 long balls. (Bonus points to anyone who knew that the atomic number of the chemical element californium.)
HIGH FIVE: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – watch out for the Dodgers in the fifth inning. LA broke the game open by outscoring the Rox 5-0 in the fifth on Friday and have now outscored their opponents 46-18 in the fifth inning of games in 2020. The 46 runs scored is the most of any frame this year for the Dodgers.
MOOKIE 2-OUTS: Betts added to his 2020 home run total on Friday and is now tied for the lead in the NL with 16 long balls. He also went 2-for-5 and came through with his first triple in Dodger Blue. Betts’ homer in the sixth and the triple in the seventh both came with two outs. His numbers with two outs in an inning this year are ridiculous. Betts has a slash line of .426/481/.979 and an OPS of 1.459 when he steps into the box with two outs. Of Bett’s 16 homers, seven have come with two outs and 21 of his team-leading 39 RBI have come with two outs.
HE SAID IT 2: “When I was a kid, 4 or 5-years-old, my mom and dad told me to hit it over their head. I’ve just always tried to hit the ball over everyone…it’s a God given ability.”—Betts when asked about how he got his power despite being only 5-9.
HE SAID IT 3: “I don’t pay any attention to it. I just am here to win a World Series. In the end I have one goal and that is to win a World Series.”—Betts when asked if he thinks about being in the race for the NL MVP.
BELLI BREAKS OUT: Bellinger’s home run in the second was his first extra-base hit in the month of September – a streak that spanned 50 at bats. He doubled his monthly extra-base total with a leadoff double in the seventh. Bellinger was 3-for-5 with 3 RBI on Friday. It was his second 3-hit game of the year and his 3 RBI were one more than he had total in the 13 games he had played in September.
HE SAID IT 4: “It was really good to see Cody use the big side of the field. I think he has gotten off the plate to give him a little more room. The hitting guys have him a little more flexed. Not as much up and down. He’s gotten into his legs more.”—Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts on Bellinger’s 3-hit, 3 RBI game.
THERE’S A NEW LEADER IN THE CLUBHOUSE: Congrats to anyone who had Gavin Lux in the office pool for owning the longest homer hit by a Dodgers’ player this season. Lux’ third HR of the season was a blast that traveled 453 feet. The longest HR hit by a Dodgers’ player since the league started tracking distance in 2015 also came at Coors Field (go figure). Joc Pederson hit a 477-foot monster shot on June 2, 2015.
ANOTHER W FOR THE BLUE PEN: With Wood making the start on Friday, it was another “bullpen” game for LA. The Dodgers used seven pitchers in the game and have now used 20 pitchers in the three “bullpen” games which have occurred in the team’s last six contests. The good thing for the Dodgers is that they have the best bullpen in the NL and one of the Top 2 in all of MLB. The win in Game 2 of the series was the 23rd of the season for the LA Blue Pen which leads all teams in MLB.
THE WHITE STUFF or I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE SEPTEMBER: Dodger rookie reliever Mitch White recorded the first win of his career on Friday. Making the second appearance of his career, White pitched the final 2.0 innings and retired all six batter he faced. He has now pitched in 3.0 innings and has only allowed a single hit and struck out two.
ON DECK: Los Angeles will go for its 13th series win of the season when they play in offensive-friendly Coors Field on Saturday at 5:10 p.m. Not only can Dodger fans look forward to watching the Blue Dynamite offense, but they can also put on their No.22 jerseys for another Kershaw Day. Clayton Kershaw will get the ball on Saturday and will be hoping to record his sixth win of the year. Kershaw is 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA and a 0.782 WHIP in 2020. He is 10-5 with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP in his 22 starts, and 133.0 innings, pitched at Coors Field. The LA hitters will get a chance to add to their league-leading win total against righties when they face Chi Chi González. González is in his fourth MLB season and is 0-1 with an 8.68 ERA and a 1.821 WHIP in 2020. The good news for the Rox is that González has handcuffed the Dodgers in the 23.2 innings he has faced LA. He has struck out 15 in the four appearances and has a 2.66 ERA and a 0.972 WHIP.
