Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Did you enjoy your All-Star break? I did, it was nice to disconnect a bit from the grind, so I can’t imagine how nice it must feel for players.
Anyway, the Dodgers started their second half in Coors Field, which has historically been a cursed place, but the Boys In Blue started out hot and continued the momentum for the most part in a 10-4 win over the Rockies.
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The Dodgers got the second half started off right against Rockies starter Chi Chi Gonzalez. Mookie Betts doubled to start the game, Justin Turner got hit with one out, and Will Smith drew a walk to load the bases. Cody Bellinger, who needs to get right, did well by singling in two runs.
Chris Taylor then followed by immediately smashing a three-run homer to deep left-center to make it 5-0 early.
Julio Urias looked to continue a nice run to close the second half, though obviously Coors is a less than ideal place to try. After working around a single and a walk in the 1st, Urias got a scoreless 2nd, but disaster struck in the 3rd. Back-to-back single started the trouble, and then hitting a batter with one-out loaded the bases, which allowed C.J. Cron to jump all over a first-pitch fastball to smash a grand slam to left to make it 5-4.
FIRE UP THE FOUNTAINS IN THE CRON ZONE 🔥⛲️ pic.twitter.com/tizRihIPAv
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 17, 2021
The lineup always needed to tack on more runs since it’s Coors, but they failed to capitalize on two singles in the 2nd and a double in the 3rd. After back-to-back singles from Urias and Betts to start the 4th, they seemed in danger of doing the same with two outs, but Smith stepped up and smashed a double off the wall in right to make it 7-4. Despite a walk following, the Dodgers couldn’t get any more, and Gonzalez’s day was done.
The Rockies turned to Justin Lawrence in the 5th, but the scoring didn’t stop. A walk to AJ Pollock, a single from Gavin Lux, and a sacrifice from Julio set the table, and Mookie hit a sac fly to plate Pollock. Back-to-back walks from Max Muncy and JT loaded the bases again, and Smith took advantage by singling and plating two to make it 10-4.
Meanwhile, Urias worked out of the 4th after giving up a single and hitting a batter, then got a scoreless 5th, and the first two outs of the 6th before he was given a rather surprising early hook. Honestly the line is worse than it looks, as he was generally effective considering it was Coors: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 89 Pitches.
Phil Bickford entered in relief, I guess prioritizing resting the rotation over the pen. It didn’t quite go as planned, as he recorded three outs but also walked a pair and gave up a single. That meant Garrett Cleavinger had to enter in the 7th, and he bailed Bickford out by getting a double play to end the inning.
Antonio Santos entered in the 6th for the Rockies and twirled an impressive two scoreless. He gave way to Ben Bowden in the 8th, and the only runner that reached against him happened on an error. Lucas Gilbreath closed the book on the Dodgers, allowing two singles (including an infield one to Albert Pujols!) but keeping things at 10-4.
Sing it now lol pic.twitter.com/4q5ZHT3pMC
— AJ Gonzalez⚾🏆 (@AJontheguitar) July 17, 2021
The front-end of the pen did what they were supposed to do for once this season. Jake Reed took over in the 8th and pitched a perfect frame, and then Jimmie Sherfy made his Dodger debut in the 9th. Sherfy gave up a single but faced the minimum by ending the game with a DP.
Quite a nice change of pace from the pen in a blowout game.
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Bickford also got his first MLB hit, which was fun.
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The win gets the Dodgers to 57-35, getting them back to a 100-win pace. They remain 2 games back of the Giants in the NL West.
Walker Buehler will square off against Kyle Freeland tomorrow at 2:10 PM HST/5:10 PM PST/8:10 PM EST.
