Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
In what was a very Coors Field game that was pretty unsurprisingly lost by the Dodgers bullpen, big 3rd and 6th innings from the Rockies won it for them, as the Dodgers comeback came up short in a 9-8 loss.
======
Getting rewarded with a start, but one at Coors Field, must generate mixed feelings. Nevertheless, Michael Grove took the ball and generally did his job tonight.
In the 1st he worked around a walk and a stolen base, but the 2nd started with back-to-back singles and he was saved by a nice Jonny Deluca play in left to get the lead runner at third. A two-out Harold Castro single did eventually plate the game’s first run, but Deluca saved one.
Jonny DeLuca's nice play saved a run. pic.twitter.com/tDVjClgzal
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 29, 2023
It was the 3rd that really hurt Grove today. While there were back-to-back singles, Grove also got a pair of outs and was on the verge of escape, but couldn’t get the final one. C.J. Cron drove a run in with a bloop single to make it 2-0, Grove issued a walk to load the bases, and Randal Grichuk then blooped in another to score two more and make it 4-0 before he was able to get out of it. And by bloop, I mean bloop.
Not that he looks good, but this is a very Coors game for Grove. pic.twitter.com/bnTodcBOp7
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 29, 2023
Grove did end up bouncing back after that, facing the minimum the rest of the way after a single was erased by a double play.
Considering his luck, his cramp, and that it was Coors, he did his job as a #5 starter: 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 78 Pitches.
Looks like #Dodgers RHP Michael Grove's right calf cramped up while he was warming up for fifth inning, but he's going to stay in the game.
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) June 29, 2023
Cursed-ass park. pic.twitter.com/O3BZzB2JgR
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 29, 2023
Meanwhile, the diminished Kyle Freeland was on the other side, and he was having a decent start against the off-day lineup of the Dodgers. After escaping a pair of walks (and a stolen base) in the 1st, he put up back-to-back clean frames.
The 4th? Well, the 4th escalated quickly. There was a walk to Will Smith, a walk to Miguel Vargas, and a soft single from Miguel Rojas to load the bases, but there were also two outs at that point. Unfortunately for Freeland, that’s when the Dodgers get started. Deluca drew a walk to force a run in, and Yonny Hernandez followed by hitting a soft liner up the middle for a single to plate two more and make it 4-3. But there were two runners still on, and Mookie Betts took care of that by hitting the first pitch he saw out to left for a three-run shot (#20) to turn the game around at 6-4.
Freeland did last another inning and got through the 5th, but from there it was a battle of the pens.
——
Of course, a battle of the pens is not really what the Dodgers wanted, and they showed why immediately. Victor Gonzalez took over in the 6th and continued his recent struggles, as after a strikeout to start, he then gave up a single, double, and hit a batter to load the bases.
Victor almost got whiplash. pic.twitter.com/0PPSnV7hNR
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 29, 2023
That ended his night, as Nick Robertson ended, but he provided nothing better. Robertson walked Jurickson Profar to force in a run, and gave up a bases-clearing double to Ezequiel Tovar to make it 8-6 for the Rockies.
After getting a strikeout, he then gave up a single to Elias Diaz to pad the lead to 9-6, and Vargas had a bad look.
Robertson did get out of that inning eventually and got a scoreless 7th as well, but the damage was obviously done.
Well, that's not what you want. pic.twitter.com/2inlh0l3X1
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 29, 2023
For the Rockies pen, the Dodgers actually got a rally going in the 6th, as David Peralta singled, Betts walked, and Freddie Freeman singled as well. However, Dino Ebel made an ill-advised send on Nolan Jones in right, and Peralta was out by a mile with Smith due up.
After a clean 7th, the Dodgers rallied in the 8th again. Singles from Jason Heyward and Peralta cornered the runners, and Yonny did as well as possible by hitting a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to two. A Mookie walk forced another runner into scoring position, and Freddie singled to cut the deficit to 9-8.
Freddie Freeman singles and it's a one-run game in the 8th. pic.twitter.com/wyFpvvgWr2
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 29, 2023
A Will walk followed to load the bases, but Justin Lawrence ended up getting J.D. Martinez swinging to end the threat.
Bouncing back from his rough outing yesterday, Phil Bickford got a rather pleasant 8th, issuing a walk but getting a pair of strikeouts to keep the deficit at one.
Unfortunately, the Dodgers couldn’t rally against Lawrence, going down quietly in the 9th for the L.
======
| NL WEST | RECORD |
|---|---|
| Diamondbacks | 48-32* |
| Giants | 45-35 (3 GB) |
| Dodgers | 44-35 (3.5 GB) |
*Either still playing or will play later.
The Dodgers will go for the series win tomorrow at 2:40 PM HT/5:40 PM PT/8:40 PM ET. It’ll be Emmet Sheehan (12 IP, 2 ER) at Coors Field in another tough test to start his career, and he’ll face Chase Anderson (5.79 ERA/5.68 xERA/4.99 DRA).
