Rockies 6, Dodgers 3: Too many missed chances

Chad Moriyama 09/21/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

The Dodgers got behind early but had ample opportunity to mount a comeback against the hapless Rockies, but their pitchers made too many mistakes and their lineup just couldn’t come through when it mattered most in a 6-3 loss.

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Let’s focus on Walker Buehler, as it’s the thing that likely matters most in terms of the Dodgers’ playoff hopes this year. Every start is now an audition for that Game 3 nod, and he again showed flashes of brilliance but also the inconsistency that has plagued him since his return.

Things started off about as poorly as possible, as Buehler was greeted with a double, walked a batter, then advanced both runners on a wild pitch. However, he got a strikeout and then induced a comebacker to himself, but threw high to home plate and everybody was safe. Still, he minimized the damage, shaking off a dropped foul error on Gavin Lux by getting a pair of strikeouts.

Trouble continued in the 2nd, as an infield single, a hit batter, and a two-out double cost him a pair of runs as he couldn’t wiggle out of distress this time around. After that, though, he retired nine batters in a row and looked straight-up dominant with five strikeouts.

Almost predictably for his issues, Buehler then gave up a solo homer to Ryan McMahon to break up the streak.

He then finished that inning and got one out in the 6th as well before giving up an infield single that ended his night. Still just missing that extra 10% of sharpness or so: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 89 Pitches.

Alex Vesia entered and got back-to-back strikeouts to close the book on Buehler.

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Offensively, things started a bit slow, getting just a single in the first two innings against Cal Quantrill. They had two outs in the 3rd as well when an instant rally struck behind a Shohei Ohtani walk and Mookie Betts smashing his 18th homer of the season.

They came back for more in the 4th, as a Max Muncy walk was followed by a Lux single, and a two-out Hunter Feduccia single drove in a run for his first career RBI.

Still, the Dodgers couldn’t get anything else as Ohtani left the runners cornered to end the 4th. In the 5th, the bases loaded were loaded to knock Quantrill out, but they were left stranded when Lux struck out (thanks to a pair of questionable strike calls as well). A pair of hit batters put two on with one out in the 6th, but a Mookie double play killed that off.

In the 7th, after a runner reached on an error, the Dodgers were screwed out of a rally by a terrible strike three call on a 3-2 count.

Meanwhile, for the Dodgers pen, it was Brent Honeywell Jr. for the Dodgers in the 7th, and despite giving up a lead-off double and walk, he induced a double play and got a strikeout to keep the game at 4-3 Rockies. He also cruised through a 1-2-3 frame in the 8th, helping to save the Dodgers pen the day after a pen game.

Daniel Hudson then tried to close things out on the Rockies in the 9th, but instead gave up a flyball double and a Charlie Blackmon homer to extend the deficit to 6-3.

The Dodgers sent up only the minimum in the 8th despite a lead-off walk, and then in the 9th they completed the trend by stranding a single and pair of walks when Muncy struck out representing the winning run with the bases loaded.

Shohei also stole his 53rd base for basically no reason in the 9th.

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NL WESTRECORD
Dodgers92-63
Padres89-66 (3 GB)
Diamondbacks87-68 (5 GB)
NLRECORD
Phillies92-63
Dodgers92-63 (0 GB)
Brewers88-67 (4 GB)

*Still playing.

The series conclude early tomorrow at 10:10 AM HT/1:10 PM PT/4:10 PM ET with Yoshinobu Yamamoto looking to continue to build to towards the playoffs against Antonio Senzatela.

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