What turned into a frustrating series for the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field carried into Sunday in a 4-3 walk-off loss to the Colorado Rockies. They finished 2-4 on the road trip, with three losses coming to their National League West counterpart.
Rich Hill limited the Rockies to a manageable three runs (two earned) over six innings. Colorado took a lead in the first inning thanks to multiple Dodgers miscues.
First, Chris Taylor dropped a routine pop-up because it was lost in the sun, then Charlie Blackmon moved into scoring position on a passed ball. A groundout and sacrifice fly brought him in.
DJ LeMahieu led off the fourth inning with a double and later came around to score on David Dahl’s single. LeMahieu’s hit was the Rockies’ first off Hill.
Blackmon’s opposite-field home run that just cleared the fence in left field extended their lead to 3-0 and ultimately loomed large.
Despite coming off a start in which he allowed nine runs, Chad Bettis kept the Dodgers off the board through his 6.1 innings of work. However, he exited responsible for Yasmani Grandal on first base, and he later scored to represent the only run Bettis was charged with.
But that’s not to suggest he didn’t face plenty of traffic. Brian Dozier opened the game with a single and moved into scoring position on a fly ball to right field. But Yasiel Puig and Cody Bellinger each swung at the first pitch, allowing Bettis to quickly get out of the inning.
That started a stretch where he retired 11 in a row. That was snapped by a one-out single from Puig in the fourth inning, which was followed by Bellinger’s base hit. But again, Bettis stranded both runners.
The Dodgers left two more on base in the fifth inning after Max Muncy and Dozier worked walks. Bettis walked Yasmani Grandal with one out in the seventh, representing the final batter faced. The right-hander finished with more walks (four) than hits allowed (three) and strikeouts (three).
After replacing Bettis in the seventh, Jake McGee promptly gave up a pinch-hit double to Justin Turner. Dozier followed by lining a two-run single into center field off Scott Oberg.
Puig and Bellinger combined for back-to-back singles with nobody out in the eighth inning, and it led to the Dodgers tying the game on Matt Kemp’s sacrifice fly.
But it was all for naught as Puig’s second error of the game put the winning run in scoring position with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth. Dylan Floro struck out Trevor Story, which was followed by an intentional walk and groundout.
Ryan McMahon, who hit a walk-off home run Saturday night, was then intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs. That proved costly as Floro walked Chris Iannetta.
