Clayton Kershaw allowed three home runs for a third time this season but a seven-run inning propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 12-5 comeback win against the Colorado Rockies, starting their final home series of the regular season on a positive note.
The win also put the 2019 Dodgers in the record books as it was their 58th at Dodger Stadium. That set a new record, which previously was held by the 2017 team. They additionally have now scored 844 runs this season, which broke the L.A. franchise record (842 in 1962).
Kershaw’s struggles in the first inning surfaced yet again as he allowed back-to-back home runs to Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon. That put the Dodgers’ in a 2-0 deficit and raised Kershaw’s first-inning ERA to 6.00.
Tony Wolters added to Colorado’s lead with an RBI single in the second inning and Garrett Hampson gave them a 4-1 advantage with a solo home run in the fourth. Up to that point Kershaw had labored to the tune of 82 pitches and despite not being sharp, managed to get through six innings.
He was rescued by a 41-minute half inning that saw the Dodgers send 12 men to the plate. After Corey Seager led off with a home run that cut the Rockies’ lead in half, a hit by pitch and walk set the table for Will Smith.
Mired in a prolonged skid, the rookie had some good fortune on his side as a ball hit to Arenado went for an RBI infield single because it got stuck in the webbing of his glove. Kiké Hernandez’s blooper dropped for an RBI base hit, Max Muncy’s single gave the Dodgers a lead, and A.J. Pollock landed the big blow with a three-run home run.
Run-scoring singles from Gavin Lux and Hernandez, along with Muncy’s two-run double, blew the game open in the seventh inning.
Prior to the Dodgers storming ahead, manager Dave Roberts was ejected early into the bottom of the fourth inning. He argued a called strike on Lux in the fourth inning and was quickly tossed by home-plate umpire Greg Gibson.
Roberts ran onto the field to continue protesting before hading the reins over to bench coach Bob Geren. He became the final MLB manager to get ejected this season.
The Dodgers lowered their magic number for homefield through the National League Championship Series to three.
