Dodgers extra-inning woes continue in loss to Rockies

DENVER — It seems to me, if you are the best baseball team on the planet, you should be able to win more than ONE out of ten extra-inning games. Not if you’re the Dodgers, though. They managed to blow not one, not two, but three leads en route to a 6-5 loss to the Rockies in ten innings on Sunday. As Charlie Blackmon’s two-out, walk-off home run sailed over the fence in the bottom of the tenth, the Dodgers missed another chance at climbing into the lead in the NL West.

Price on the money for Dodgers

In what turned out to be the best pitching match-up of the weekend series, the Dodgers sent David Price to the mound against the Rockies’ big redhead Jon Gray. Both were sharp, but got nicked a bit in the early going. Price, who was still working on a pitch limit as he transitions into more of a starter’s role, gave up one run in the bottom of the first on a couple of well-placed and well-timed singles. But that was it in his four innings of work. He pitched around a bit of traffic, but didn’t give up any more runs. His final line for the day: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4K

Turner homers the Dodgers into the lead

In the top of the third, the Dodgers were able to get something going against Jon Gray, who pitched a pretty good game over all. But pitcher David Price hit a little nubber down the third base line that just did stay fair for a single. A couple of batters later, Justin Turner got ahold of one. He took a Gray fast ball the other way for an opposite field two-run home run. The Dodgers were now out in front 2-1.

Sloppy D proves costly again

Let’s be honest. Your Los Angeles Dodgers are not a good defensive team this year. And yet again, it cost them big time. In the bottom of the fifth, Garrett Hampson hit a two-out pop fly that clanked off Chris Taylor‘s glove and allowed Chris Owings to scamper all the way home from second. Then, in the seventh, Matt Adams hit a hot grounder that could have been a double play to Justin Turner. Instead, it caromed off his glove and into left field to plate another run for the Rox. It was scored a hit, but Turner makes that play more often than not. Colorado was now up 3-2.

Will Smith hits an insane home run to put the Dodgers on top

Still, the Dodgers had some fight left in them. In the bottom of the eighth, Justin Turner smacked a one-out double down the left field line, setting up the next hitter Will Smith with an RBI chance. Smith watched one slider from reliever Carlos Estevez miss the strike zone for a 1-0 count. Then, on the next pitch, Estevez went back to the slider and put the pitch way out of the strike zone hoping that Smith would chase. Smith chased all right, and somehow managed to golf the backfoot slider into the right field seats for a dramatic go-ahead home run. It was 4-3 Dodgers with six outs to go. With the Giants already having lost to the Cardinals, Dodger fans could practically taste first place.

Kenley with a rare blown save

Blake Treinen did his job, getting a 1-2-3 eighth inning on only eight pitches. When the Dodgers failed to add on in the ninth, Kenley Jansen came on trying to save a one-run ball game. Though Jansen has been rock solid most of the year, today was not his day. He gave up a lead off double to Ryan McMahon, who was able to advance to third on a right side grounder and score on a single off the bat of Chris Owings. Jansen was able to put out the fire after that, but the damage had been done. With that, the game went into extra innings.

Smith, part deux

With the score now knotted at 4, noted speed demon Albert Pujols was the Dodgers runner at second in the top of the tenth inning. It seemed for a bit that he might get stuck there, but with two out, Will Smith came through yet again. He ripped a single to right center that was just far enough away from the defense to allow Tio Albert to huff and puff his way to home with the go-ahead run. But one run was all they could muster in the tenth, and it would come back to haunt them in the bottom of the inning.

Bickford gives up the lead, then the game

Phil Bickford came in in the bottom of the tenth, trying to nail down that elusive extra inning win. The first hitter of the inning, Brendan Rogers, lined out to AJ Pollock, but it was hit deep enough to move the assigned runner to third base. Trevor Story came to the plate wearing a golden sombrero for his four strikeouts in the game. Unfortunately, Bickford couldn’t make it five. Instead, Story flew out to right field, plenty deep to score the game-tying run. However, now there were two outs and the bases were empty, so Bickford and a real shot at sending the game to the eleventh all tied up.

However, Charlie Blackmon had thoughts about that strategy. He pulverized a 1-1 pitch from Bickford, sending it high over the right field fence for a walk-off home run. End of game, end of series, end of the Dodgers’ hopes for returning to LA in first place.

Okay, Giants. Let’s get it on…

Still a series win on the road while the Giants were losing two out of three is a good way to start off the season after the All-Star break. We go into Monday’s game with los Gigantes down by one game in the standings, but a whole lot of good came out of the series in Colorado. Let’s see if it can carry over to at least two or three wins in this pivotal series this coming week.