Dodgers Recap: Wrobleski shoves as Dodgers Take a Coors Field Special

DENVER — After a turbulent homestand, the Dodgers launched a three-game series at Coors Field with about what you’d expect from a game in Denver. Lots of runs. No lead safe. Nail-biter to the end. But when all was said and done the Dodgers emerged victorious on Tuesday night, besting the Colorado Rockies by a score of 9-7.

Jack Dreyer started a bullpen game for the visiting Dodgers, pitching one inning and allowing a run. The Dodgers offense faced a revitalized Germán Márquez, who dominated early before unraveling in the fourth, surrendering six runs. The Rockies rallied in the eighth, plating three runs against Anthony Banda and Tanner Scott. Finally, Teoscar Hernández delivered a clutch hit in the ninth to secure the win.

Bottom of the First
After the Dodgers went quietly in the top of the first, the Rockies struck first as Michael Toglia, fresh off a minor-league call-up, tripled on a sharp line drive to right field, scoring Hunter Goodman. Toglia’s hit gave Colorado two hits against Dreyer, giving the Rox a 1-0 lead after one inning.

Bottom of the Third
Echoing the first, Toglia doubled with two outs, scoring Goodman after Michael Conforto couldn’t make the grab on a fly ball to left. Justin Wrobleski, who struck out three in a scoreless second, ran into trouble but escaped by fanning Ryan McMahon. The Rockies added just the one run, going into the middle innings leading 2-0.

Top of the Fourth
The Dodgers finally broke through in the fourth. They loaded the bases with consecutive singles from Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and the red-hot Max Muncy. Teoscar Hernández’s chopper up the middle-scored Freeman. Andy Pages followed with a hard grounder to first; Smith slid deftly under the tag at home to tie the game at 2-2 with one out. With runners on first and third, Michael Conforto then launched a three-run homer off the facing of the upper deck, pushing the Dodgers ahead 5-2. Mookie Betts capped the rally with an RBI double down the left-field line, scoring Tommy Edman for a 6-2 lead.

Bottom of the Fifth
Colorado started to claw its way back into the game with a sacrifice fly by Thairo Estrada, scoring Jordan Beck from third. Toglia’s third double of the night drove in Beck, narrowing the gap to 6-3.

Top of the Sixth
Tommy Edman singled to open the sixth, and Shohei Ohtani crushed a 373-foot opposite-field two-run homer over the left-field wall. The Dodgers extended their lead to 8-3, and looked to be in the proverbial catbird’s seat. But, remember, this game is being played in Denver.

Bottom of the Seventh
The bulk dude Wrobleski’s night ended, with Kirby Yates entering at the start of the seventh. Wrobleski’s solid line for the evening: 86 pitches (54 strikes), 5 IP, 2 ER, 2 BB, a career-high 7 K, and 14 swinging strikes. Since his rocky start in Washington, Wrobo has delivered quality innings for the Dodgers and really helped them paper over some holes in their rotation. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens to him after the likes of Snell and Glasnow return. Is he a potential deadline trade chip?

Yates allowed mostly soft contact, allowing runners on first and second with the hot-hitting Toglia coming to the plate. He was able to strike out Toglia for the second out of the inning, but couldn’t seal the deal, allowing a run to score on an RBI single from Thairo Estrada. Alex Vesia had to be called on to finish the frame.

Bottom of the Eighth
Anthony Banda started strong, retiring the first two batters, but surrendered a run and put two runners on. Dave Roberts turned to Tanner Scott, who on the first pitch he threw allowed a two-run double to Beck that cut the Dodgers’ lead to one. With the tying run in scoring position, Scott was able to lock in and retire the next hitter on a harmless flyball to right field to end the inning.

Top of the Ninth
Muncy opened with a soft opposite-field single and scored on Teoscar Hernández’s line-drive double to left-center, giving the Dodgers a 9-7 cushion. Roberts sent Scott back out to close the game. Thanks to a nifty play by Max Muncy, he got the first out of the inning. Then, he was able to pitch around a bunt single from Ryan McMahon by tossing a double play ball to Brenton Doyle on the very next pitch. All’s well that ends well. Another Coors Field special, the Dodgers emerging with a hard-fought 9-7 win.

Game Notes
Tanner Scott earned a four-out save, Mookie Betts recorded his first two-hit game in 14 contests, but Freddie Freeman went 0-for-5. The bottom of the lineup powered the offense, contributing seven of the nine runs. The Dodgers aim to get Freeman rolling tomorrow in hitter-friendly Coors Field for Game 2, starting at 5:40 PM PDT, broadcast on SportsNet LA.

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