The Los Angeles Dodgers returned the favor to the Colorado Rockies, scoring five runs in the second inning to take a lead they never relinquished. Dating back to the fifth inning of Monday’s loss, the Dodgers outscored the Rockies, 12-0, through the second on Tuesday.
Joc Pederson opened the game with a base hit to center field, but Tyler Chatwood retired the next two batters faced and saw the inning end on a strike ’em out throw ’em out. Clayton Kershaw induced Nolan Arenado into a double play after allowing a one-out base hit to DJ LeMahieu.
The Dodgers again had their leadoff man reach, with Cody Bellinger drawing a walk in the second inning. There would be no escaping for Chatwood that time around.
Chris Taylor walked with one out, then Charlie Blackmon came up empty on his diving attempt to catch a sinking line drive to right-center field.
The end result was a two-run triple for Chase Utley; the triple was Utley’s second in as many games. Chatwood’s command continued to be an issue as he walked Yasiel Puig to put runners at the corners with one out.
Utley was easily thrown out at home plate on his attempt to score on Kershaw’s sacrifice bunt. No matter, Pederson hit an RBI double and Corey Seager a two-run double before Chatwood could end the inning.
The Rockies threatened in the bottom of the second, behind an Ian Desmond single and Carlos Gonzalez double. But Kershaw worked out of the jam by striking out Pat Valaika and Dustin Garneau.
The Rockies did scratch in the third, with DJ LeMahieu immediately cashing in Blackmon’s triple. But Kershaw did limit the damage by inducing Arenado into his second inning-ending double play of the game.
With Mark Reynolds at second base, Gonzalez’s one-out RBI single in the fourth trimmed the Dodgers’ lead to 5-2. The inning potentially could have been bigger, if not for Valaika coming off the bag on his stolen base attempt after reaching on an error.
Chatwood allowed a leadoff single to Seager in the fifth inning and was removed after striking out Justin Turner. Seager moved into scoring position on a passed ball, where he was stranded as Rockies reliever Chris Rusin struck out Bellinger and got Yasmani Grandal to line out.
Puig dropped a two-out double in front of Desmond in the sixth, only to be thrown out when Desmond recovered from his diving attempt in time to relay the throw in on Puig’s attempt to stretch it to a triple.
Kershaw needed all of eight pitches to set the Rockies down in order in the sixth, which was his first 1-2-3 inning of the game. He struck out a pair in the seventh and retired seven in a row through that inning.
Bellinger’s team-leading seventh home run extended the Dodgers’ lead to 6-2 in the eighth inning. Batting right-handed, Grandal followed with a double off Jake McGee. The double was Grandal’s third in as many games and fourth in the past five games.
Luis Avilan retired one of two batters faced in the eighth, and Pedro Baez stranded the inherited runner by combining with Avilan to strike out the side. Baez pumped his fist in a rare display of emotion after ending the inning by getting Arenado to chase a high fastball.
Kenley Jansen entered in the ninth to wrap up the Dodgers’ 6-2 win without issue. Kershaw improved to 89-0 in the regular season when provided with four-plus runs of support. Kershaw also became the first pitcher in MLB history to record 20 wins against the Rockies, breaking a tie with Randy Johnson.
