[ad_1]
The baseball universe is back in balance and dogs and cats are no longer living together.
Because the Dodgers rule the Rockies again.
Colorado opened the season going 4-1 against the behemoths of the National League West, but the Dodgers desperately hung on for a 5-4 win Friday night at Coors Field in front of 41,656 fans. Los Angles has now won six straight over the Rockies, who fell to 17-42 vs. the Dodgers since 2019.
Credit the Rockies for getting the Dodgers all hot and bothered in the ninth against closer Craig Kimbrell. Kris Bryant hit a one-out, opposite-field single to right, but Kimbrell struck out the slumping C.J. Cron for the second out.
Brendan Rodgers kept the rally alive with a single through the right side, Jose Iglesias walked and Randal Grichuck delivered a two-run single before Kimbrell got Ryan McMahon to fly out left fielder Trayce Thompson in foul territory to close the door for his 18th save.
The game was actually decided early on because L.A. lefty Julio Urias outpitched Colorado right-hander Chad Kuhl, who has quickly gone from the strength in the rotation to its weak link.
The Dodgers got after Kuhl in the first inning, with Trea Turner ripping a one-out single and Will Smith following up with a two-run, 435-foot blast to left for a 2-0 lead. L.A. made it 4-0 in the second on a Cody Bellinger double and Thompson’s two-run homer.
Entering the game, Rockies pitchers had not allowed a home run in six consecutive home games, the second-longest streak in franchise history and the longest since a five-game stretch in 2013.
The last time Kuhl faced the Dodgers, he was masterful, throwing a complete-game, three-hit shutout at Coors Field. That was on June 27. Since then, the right-hander owns a 9.58 ERA in five starts, with seven homers allowed, and 15 strikeouts vs. 14 walks.
Colorado managed just four hits off Urias but strung together three solid at-bats against him in the second. Iglesias doubled down the left-field line, Grichuk followed with an RBI triple and McMahon’s sacrifice fly to center cut L.A.’s lead to 4-2.
Colorado’s most frustrating inning was the third when it handed the Dodgers a run with sloppy play and fell behind 5-2.
Kuhl walked leadoff hitter Freddie Freeman, who promptly swiped second base. The Kuhl walked Smith and Jake Lamb reached on first baseman Cron’s error, loading the bases. Gavin Lux’s sacrifice fly scored Freeman and then Kuhl walked Max Muncy, loading the bases again.
That was it for Kuhl, but long reliever Ryan Feltner, who was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque prior to the game, put down the Dodgers rally by striking out Cody Bellinger and Thompson. Feltner pitched well, giving up no runs on three hits over his 3 1/3 innings.
[ad_2]
Source link