David Price turned in his longest start of the season but Cody Bellinger suffered a hamstring injury and the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen again faltered in a 9-6 defeat to the Colorado Rockies in 10 innings that extended their losing streak to three games.
Chris Taylor continued his torrid pace in the leadoff spot of the lineup by opening the bottom of the first inning with a double to left field. The Dodgers nearly squandered the opportunity, but Will Smith delivered an RBI double with two outs.
Bellinger then ended an 0-for-25 drought with his own run-scoring double, and Matt Beaty tacked on an RBI single before Chi Chi Gonzalez could get through the inning. Gonzalez entered the night with an 8.36 ERA in the first inning this season, which was tied for his worst frame.
The veteran right-hander gave up another run when Justin Turner led off the bottom of the third inning with a homer.
The Dodgers tacked on against the Rockies bullpen in the sixth inning with Bellinger’s triple off the wall in right-center field setting the table for AJ Pollock’s RBI base hit. For Bellinger, it marked his first multi-hit game since June 11, and first with multiple extra-base hits since Sept. 18, 2020.
That helped create some separation after David Price got a bit wobbly in his longest start of the season. Price surrendered a solo home run to Elias Diaz in the third inning, and another to Trevor Story with two outs in the sixth.
He then walked Charlie Blackmon and gave way to Phil Bickford. The right-hander was greeted by back-to-back singles before managing to record the third out. Price collected four strikeouts and was charged with three runs on four hits over 5.2 innings pitched.
The Dodgers’ bullpen again wasn’t able to protect the lead, this time in the eighth inning and at no fault of Kenley Jansen’s as Brusdar Graterol and Darien Nuñez failed to keep the Rockies off the board.
Nuñez remained in the game for the ninth and surrendered what held as a game-winning home run to pinch-hitter Sam Hilliard. It marked a fourth consecutive night a go-ahead home run was hit in the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers staved off another heartbreaking defeat behind a furious rally against Daniel Bard. Austin Barnes and Taylor hit back-to-back singles, then a Billy McKinney walk loaded the bases with nobody out.
Turner’s walk tied the game, but it was followed by futile at-bats as Will Smith, Sheldon Neuse and AJ Pollock each struck out.
That came back to haunt the Dodgers in the 10th when the Rockies took a decided lead behind Trevor Story’s RBI single and Blackmon’s two-run homer.
Dodgers lose game and Bellinger
After losing three of four to the San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers squandered an opportunity to pick up a full game in the National League West standings after to the Pittsburgh Pirates coming away with a win at Oracle Park.
There was further disappointment on the night as Bellinger was removed in the eighth inning due to left hamstring tightness. Bellinger previously spent time on the 10-day injured list this season with a mild left hamstring strain.
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