The initial Los Angeles Dodgers lineup for Saturday’s game against the Colorado Rockies included Will Smith starting at catcher, but the team issued a correction shortly after to have Austin Barnes behind the plate.
Several hours later Barnes found himself heavily involved in the Dodgers’ 3-2 loss at Coors Field. He first dropped a perfect throw from Mookie Betts when going to apply a tag on Kris Bryant, as the ball squirted away when the players made contact.
Barnes atoned for that mishap with a game-tying solo home run in the third inning. He was in the spotlight again when Freddie Freeman flied out to the wall in center field. Barnes was on second base and failed to tag up.
That likely cost the Dodgers a run two batters later when Trea Turner reached on a soft infield single. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained Barnes staying put at second base was technically the correct play. The backup catcher echoed that sentiment and noted the fly ball was a difficult read for him, via Juan Toribio of MLB.com
“That’s a tough one,” Barnes said. “With one out, usually you score on any ball, especially in this park with as much area as there is out there. I thought Freeman hit it good. I wasn’t sure. I thought he kind of went back on it a little weird at the wall, kind of gave a little jump. … It’s just a read you have to make.”
Barnes not advancing 90 feet on Freeman’s fly out and the Dodgers leaving the bases loaded was followed in the bottom half of the inning by Connor Joe hitting a go-ahead solo home run off Blake Treinen.
The trusted Dodgers relief pitcher had struck out the first two batters faced and was one strike from putting Joe away for an impressive back-to-back appearance.
Barnes hits career-long home run
Barnes’ blast in the third inning traveled an estimated 453 feet, which is good for the longest home run in his career.
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