Steve Webb
DENVER, CO — Weird things happen to the Dodgers after weather delays in Coors. First it was Nomo’s no-hitter, and now it was an absolute explosion of runs. After waiting out a hail storm that covered the field in ice and caused a two-hour delay in first pitch, the Dodgers were all over the Rockies, scoring early and often, and piling up their best offensive performance of the year: 18 hits, 14 runs and huge victory over Colorado in this late night beatdown.
Emmet Sheehan started the game for the Boys in Blue, and given the conditions, he did just fine: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER. But it was the offense that stole the show. After falling behind 3-2 in the early going, the Dodgers absolutely obliterated Colorado pitching in the middle innings, putting up six runs in the fourth, and six more in innings 5-7 to coast to an easy win.
The hitting heroes were many, but most specifically, the Dodgers’ three newly minted All-Stars: Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and J.D. Martinez. Betts had a pair of doubles and an RBI. Freeman went 2-for-3 and knocked in three runs, and Martinez had the best night of the bunch: four hits, a home run, and four ribeyes. Guess these guys deserve those starts in Seattle, huh?
“I think tonight started with Mookie,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I don’t know if it’s him being on the dirt. He felt good, but he was really dynamic tonight. I thought the way his body was moving. He set the tone.”
Other good things happened as well: Max Muncy got a pair of hits. Miguel Vargas smashed a triple, and Jason Heyward had three hits of his own, included two doubles. No doubt it was all smiles as the team boarded the plane en route to Kansas City. Let’s see if all the offense makes the trip with them.
