Dodgers 8, Rockies 1: Max Muncy receives the Mandate Of Heaven to back Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s gem & power the Dodgers to win #50

Chad Moriyama 06/25/2025 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

After a decent Coors Field experience yesterday, the Dodgers were probably hoping for a much cleaner experience today given the pitching matchup,

Things started a bit late today for seemingly no reason…

…which was weirdly appropriate as there was also a controversial 85-minute rain delay (more on that later) during the game as well.

In the end, Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a great bounceback start cut short, and the Dodgers piled on after some divine intervention to take a 8-1 victory over the Rockies. That’s win #50.

======

As mentioned, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the mound, and despite the tough environment, he turned in a gem. He started with a pair of 10-pitch innings in the 1st and 2nd, then worked around a two-out single for a 13-pitch 3rd. In the 4th he took just 11 pitches to cruise through the frame, and a lead-off walk in the 5th erased by a double play.

So he faced just one over the minimum, and really a potential shutout was stopped by the rain: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 56 Pitches.

Of course, left the mound with the game tied due to … well, what’s been happening to him all year.

🤣

[image or embed]

— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) June 25, 2025 at 3:40 PM

For the Rockies, rookie Chase Dollander was matching Yamamoto thanks to another slow start for the Dodgers lineup. He absolutely cruised through the first two frames, and a lead-off double in the 3rd by Tommy Edman was erased when he tried to take third on a grounder.

Later on with two down, a walk put a pair on and gave them another chance with RISP, but nothing came of it. Dollander then continued to cruise, getting clean frames in both the 4th and 5th innings.

And so, that brought us to the 6th inning, which started with the Dodgers rallying. Dalton Rushing drew a walk and Shohei Ohtani singled to put a pair on, but two outs later and both runners only advanced a base.

That brought up Max Muncy, who had the most eventful at-bat of the night because it was at that time the downpour started. Rather than suspending the game, the umpires tried to get through the at-bat. This despite droves of fans heading for shelter and the rain coming down hard, both of which were distractions. Well, on a 3-2 pitch, Muncy skied an infield flyball into that rain, and none of the Rockies could find it, so it dropped in for a rather amusing single that plated the first two runs of the game.

2-0 via divine intervention.

Baseball Gods intervened.

[image or embed]

— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) June 25, 2025 at 3:57 PM

Immediately after the rain delay struck, so that was the end of Dollander’s night. Brutal for him.

After the game resumed, there wasn’t much relief for the Rockies, as Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages both singled to score Muncy to make it 3-0.

That run is charged to Dollander as well. Baseball, man.

——

Starting things for the Dodgers pen was Lou Trivino, and the main thing I wanted was for him to not blow Yamamoto’s win. Well, he got two quick outs, but then gave up a bunt single and a bloop single. That wouldn’t have been a problem if Pages didn’t try to play hero, throwing wildly over third and into the dugout, plating a run to cut the lead to 3-1.

Trivino followed that by issuing a walk to bring the go-ahead run to the plate, and so Dave Roberts came out to get him and Alex Vesia got a strikeout to escape potential disaster.

——

Fortunately, the bats provided a lot more breathing room in the 7th. Michael Conforto led off with a single and got to second on a groundout, which led to Shohei getting intentionally walked. After a lineout and a wild pitch, two were in scoring position for Freddie Freeman, who also walked to load the bases.

Again, it was Muncy who strode to the plate with a chance to do damage, and he continued to do just that by smoking an 0-2 breaking ball over the fence for a grand slam. His 12th homer made it a more relaxing 7-1 lead.

Things didn’t get much better for them in the 8th, as even following catching a break when Pages singled and got caught stealing, Conforto smoked a towering homer for his sixth of the year and second in as many games to increase the lead to 8-1.

A quiet 9th followed, and that was it for them.

——

Now with a more comfortable lead, the Dodgers pen resumed behind Michael Kopech in the 7th, who only allowed a runner to reach after a ball was literally hit through Freddie’s glove.

Finishing out the game was Will Klein, who allowed a pair of singles in the 8th but also struck out the side to avoid damage. He continued in the 9th, closing things out with a clean frame.

======

NL WestRecordGB
Dodgers50-31–
Padres44-365.5
Giants44-365.5

The series will conclude tomorrow in a day game at 9:10 AM HT/12:10 PM PT/3:10 PM ET, and it’ll be Clayton Kershaw back on the bump hunting for his 3000th strikeout, up against Austin Gomber.

About Chad Moriyama

Avatar photo
"A highly rational Internet troll." - Los Angeles Times
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2014-2024 | Dodgers Digest | All Rights Reserved