While the Los Angeles Dodgers have had their share of struggles against left-handed pitching this season, Colorado Rockies starter Tyler Anderson did not fit into that group. That continued Saturday, as the Dodgers improved to 3-0 in games they’ve faced Anderson this season.
Anderson allowed at least one hit in each of the first two innings, and it was the second where the Dodgers took the lead. Kiké Hernandez led off with a double and later scored on Austin Barnes’ double.
After the speedy catcher stole third base, Anderson walked Brett Eibner to put runners at the corners with one out. Alex Wood’s safety squeeze extended the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0.
The Rockies nearly answered back in the bottom of the second, as Carlos Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra both singled. But they were stranded by Wood, who struck out Ryan Hanigan and Anderson to end the inning.
In the third, Wood negated a Mark Reynolds leadoff single by striking out the next three batters faced. He set the Rockies down in order in the fourth and worked around a two-out base hit in the fifth.
Wood to that point had nine strikeouts over five shutout innings. The Dodgers added to their lead in the top of the fifth, on Brett Eibner’s first home run with the team. The solo shot traveled 465 feet and cleared the trees in center field.
Franklin Gutierrez doubled in the sixth, and Cody Bellinger’s two-out walk kept the inning alive and spelled the end for Anderson. He was replaced by Scott Oberg, who promptly walked Barnes to load the bases. Eibner struck out swinging, leaving the Dodgers’ lead at 3-0.
Nolan Arenado, who’d struck out twice, was put on base to start the bottom of the sixth. The walk was Wood’s first of the game. He responded by striking out Reynolds, and benefitted from a Gonzalez line drive being hit right to Bellinger, who stepped on first base for an inning-ending double play.
Wood finished at 88 pitches over six shutout innings, with 10 strikeouts. It marked the first time in Wood’s career he posted back-to-back starts with double-digit strikeouts. The scoreless outing was a third for Wood in his past four starts.
With two outs and Chris Taylor on first base after dropping a single into right field, Justin Turner sliced an RBI double down the first-base line.
Josh Fields and Pedro Baez combined to throw two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Baez was aided by Turner’s diving catch that robbed Arenado of a likely RBI base hit. The Rockies All-Star third baseman, who’s done that so often to opponent, slammed his bat and helmet and yelled an expletive in frustration.
Kenley Jansen entered in a non-save situation for a second straight night and struck out three in a row after allowing a leadoff single, to wrap up the Dodgers’ 4-0 win.
Los Angeles improved to 19-0 when leading after eight innings. What’s more, the Dodgers’ shutout at Coors Field was their first since July 4, 2014, when Clayton Kershaw went eight innings in a 9-0 victory.
