The Los Angeles Dodgers played their third of four games this weekend at Coors Field on Saturday night, looking to take their third straight from the Colorado Rockies.
With the start of the postseason just around the corner, the Dodgers seem to be rounding into form as they earned a 6-1 victory over the Rockies to improve to 38-15 on the season. The win also lowered their magic number to clinch the National League West to three.
The Dodgers got on the scoreboard in first inning behind a a two-out rally. Justin Turner started it with a single, followed by a walk from Cody Bellinger. Chris Taylor then drove them both in with a triple down the right-field line.
Colorado quickly responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the first, however, as Raimel Tapia hustled out a leadoff double, stole third base and then scored on a groundout by Nolan Arenado.
Taylor got that run back in the top of the fourth, hitting a leadoff home run to center field to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1.
Clayton Kershaw settled in nicely after the first inning, retiring 11 straight until Garrett Hampson singled to lead off the sixth. He was quickly picked off though, and Kershaw again breezed through an easy frame.
The Dodgers were then able to break the game open a bit in the seventh, starting with an opposite-field home run off the bat of AJ Pollock. Austin Barnes and Mookie Betts manufactured a pair of runs with their legs to make it 6-1.
Barnes was hit by a pitch, stole second and later scored on a ball in the dirt. Betts reached on an infield single and when he was on second base, Rockies reliever Mychal Givens attempted to pick him off.
Betts was able to take third when the throw went into center field and then caught the Rockies sleeping by coming all the way around to score on the play.
Those runs were more than enough for Kershaw, who was able to get through seven innings while allowing just four hits and a run with six strikeouts and no walks.
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