Getaway day for the Los Angeles Dodgers turned into a split doubleheader after Tuesday night’s game at Coors Field was rained out.
Tyler Anderson opened the game on a positive note for the Colorado Rockies, striking out Howie Kendrick on three pitches. Corey Seager and Justin Turner both grounded out to end a quick and quiet first inning.
Ross Stripling wasn’t as fortunate, allowing a one-out single to DJ LeMahieu. Stripling did strike out Carlos Gonzalez, but gave up an RBI double to Nolan Arenado. A better throw from Seager may have nabbed LeMahieu at the plate.
Adrian Gonzalez, who entered play leading the Majors with a .390 batting average in day games, doubled down the left field line in the second inning.
However, it didn’t amount to anything as Anderson retired the next three batters faced. Gerardo Parra’s double and Cristhian Adames’ base hit put runners on the corners with nobody out in the bottom of the second.
Gonzalez aided Stripling’s cause by making a nice stop and looking Parra back to third before stepping on first base.
Anderson helped his cause by slapping an RBI single by a drawn-in Turner. Gonzalez then made another impressive stop at first base, this time stepping on the bag and firing home to get Adames in a rundown for a double play to end the inning.
Anderson worked around a Kendrick two-out walk to throw a scoreless third inning. Stripling erased a leadoff single by inducing Carlos Gonzalez into a double play. Arenado kept the bottom of the third alive by drawing a walk, but David Dahl grounded out.
Turner led off the fourth with a single to right field, giving the Dodgers their second hit on the afternoon. Adrian Gonzalez hit into a double play and Rob Segedin popped-out to end the inning.
Carlos Ruiz singled in the fifth, but Anderson continued to shut out the Dodgers to keep the Rockies’ 2-0 lead intact. After a rough start to the game, Stripling retired the side in order in the fifth for the first time.
Anderson allowed a pair of singles in the sixth but otherwise struck out the side. Dahl and Parra connected on back-to-back doubles in the bottom half of the inning, with Parra’s extending the Rockies’ lead to 3-0.
Anderson walked Kiké Hernandez to lead off the seventh and later gave up a base hit to Charlie Culberson. Chris Rusin took over for Colorado with one out and runners on first and second base. He struck out pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal and Kendrick to end the inning.
Stephen Cardullo tagged Casey Fien for his first Major League home run. Cardullo’s first Major League hit came during a pinch-hit appearance in Monday’s game. J.P. Howell gave up a leadoff single in the eighth, and an RBI triple with one out to Adames.
Ryan Raburn added a pinch-hit RBI double, and Charlie Blackmon an RBI single before Howell could get out of the inning. Carlos Estevez tossed a scoreless ninth to wrap up the Rockies’ 7-0 victory.
After narrowly avoiding it in Monday’s series opener, the Dodgers were shut out at Coors Field for the first time since Aug. 27, 2012.
