Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — Let’s start with the good news. Tyler Anderson looked good in his five innings of work, and the Dodgers’ lefty missed a whole lot of bats, something he hasn’t done a lot of this year. The bad news: the Dodgers’ offense was stuck in neutral all day and could never muster a sustained threat against German Marquez and the Rockies’ bullpen. The Dodgers only got three hits all day and scored their only run on a sacrifice fly. The whole game was another flat one, which seems to be the norm in these post clinching days. In the end, the Rockies got just enough offense to win the ballgame 4-1.
Anderson getting strikeouts, but gives up two early
Tyler Anderson was striking out a lot of Rockies early on this game, but between the whiffs, the Rox were getting some hits as well. In the first three innings of work, Anderson got eight strikeouts, but gave up two runs on a Brandon Rodgers solo shot in the second and a two-out run-scoring double from Ryan McMahon in the third. And once again, the Dodgers were playing from behind.
In all, Anderson went five innings on Sunday, and set a career high in strikeouts with ten. It was a good tune-up, and looking forward to seeing what TA has in store for us in the postseason. Anderson final regular season stats: 178.4 IP, 15-5, 2.57 ERA, 138 K.
Belli just misses a 3-run jack, settles for a sac fly
In the bottom of the third, the Dodgers finally broke through against Colorado starter German Marquez, who had been cruising through the first two frames. Gavin Lux started things off with a walk, and took third on a Trayce Thompson single over the infield. That brought up Cody Bellinger, who’s been swinging a hot bat in this series. And Sunday’s first AB was no different. He pummeled a 96-mph sinker to straightaway centerfield. It drove outfielder Yonathan Daza to the wall, but in the end, it didn’t have quite enough to get out. Belli missed the three-run homer by about three feet, but it was easily deep enough to score Lux from third. However, that was all the Dodgers got in the inning, and the game went into the middle innings with the Dodgers trailing 2-1.
Both teams quiet in the middle innings
The Dodgers just couldn’t solve Rockies starter German Marquez on Sunday. Other than the Belli blast to center, Marquez pitched six clean innings and gave up just one hit in the entire game. Andre Jackson came in for the Dodgers, and Dave Roberts was looking for him to finish up the ballgame, or at least give him three strong innings. Thanks to a quick 6th and 7th, Jackson went into the later innings with his pitch count very much intact. Now, all the Dodgers had to do was score a couple of runs.
Jackson gets bit for two in hard-luck inning
Unfortunately, those runs never came. Instead, Joey Gallo lost a ball in the sun in the top of the 9th that opened the door for a two-run inning to give the Rockies a 4-1 advantage. All the Dodgers could muster in the bottom of the 9th was a one-out Justin Turner single. Otherwise, Daniel Bard struck out the side to get the save and secure the Rockies’ first win in this series.
Final three games start Monday
Having won the first half of this series, the Dodgers now begin the make-up section of the series, playing three more against the Rockies to replace games that were lost in April. Monday’s game will be especially important for the Dodgers’ postseason aspiration in that in will the first start in over a month for Tony Gonsolin, who’s been on the shelf since late August.
The Cat Man doesn’t expect to go too deep in his return, two or three innings might be as much as we can hope for. But, it will be a good barometer to see how much Dodger fans can rely on Gonsolin to carry the load in the postseason. He’ll toe the rubber against righty Jose Urena, who’s seen the Dodgers twice this year, one good, one horrible. Game time Monday: 7:10 pm.
Cans of Corn…
- Chris Taylor not in the lineup again on Sunday. Neck issue.
- Will Smith got robbed of two hits by great infield defense.
- Tio Albert hit a homer on his last ever regular-season home game for the Cardinals on Sunday. Now has 702 and tied the Babe in RBI.
- Dustin May‘s bullpen went well before the game.
- Treinen to pitch a bullpen on Monday.
