The Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies split the first two of their crucial four-game series at Coors Field, so Saturday night’s game was a big one in regards to the race to win the National League West.
It looked like the Dodgers were primed to earn a victory as they led 2-0 with two outs in the ninth inning. Ryan McMahon hit a three-run walk-off home run off a J.T. Chargois though, resulting in a 3-2 victory for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers got on the scoreboard quickly in the top of the first against Rockies starter Kyle Freeland when Manny Machado double and Justin Turner followed with a triple to score him.
They then added another run in the second when Yasiel Puig hit a solo home run off of Freeland to deep left. The long ball was Puig’s 100th in his Major League career.
Freeland settled in from there and was able to get through seven innings of two-run ball, allowing just six hits an two walks while striking out 10.
The only problem for him though was that Buehler was just a tad better, tossing seven shutout innings while giving up four hits, striking out six and walking three.
Buehler gave up a fair share of baserunners, but he was able to pitch in and out of trouble all day by inducing three inning-ending double plays. One of them was an absolute highlight reel 4-6-3 double play started by a diving stop by Brian Dozier. He then flipped it with his glove to Machado, who gunned it to first to complete the outstanding play.
He then gave way to another rookie in the eighth as left-hander Caleb Ferguson entered to hold the 2-0 lead and tossed a 1-2-3 inning.
In the absence of Kenley Jansen, it was Scott Alexander that got the opportunity to earn a save for the Dodgers although he only recorded one out before giving up a double to Trevor Story and giving way to Chargois to face the pinch-hitting Nolan Arenado.
Chargois hit Arenado to put the tying run aboard, and after getting a groundout for the second out of the inning, he served up the game-winner to McMahon.
