The Los Angeles Dodgers overcame an early deficit but were outhomered by Colorado Rockies in a 4-2 loss. As a result the Dodgers failed to pick up a full game on the San Francisco Giants and remain 2.5 back of first place in the National League West.
The Rockies jumped ahead in the first inning on Charlie Blackmon’s two-run home run off Brusdar Graterol. The homer was only Blackmon’s second on the road this season.
That wound up being Graterol’s lone inning of work as an opener in the third start of his career and first this year. Andre Jackson again entered out of the bullpen for his second career game with the Dodgers, and turned in another encouraging outing.
Jackson pitched through some traffic in the second, third and fifth innings but failed to get through the sixth. C.J. Cron led off with what was a go-ahead homer at the time and Jackson was removed after allowing a two-out single.
Cron’s homer was the first run Jackson allowed in his young Major League career.
Kyle Freeland built some of the momentum he’d generated since July and retired the first seven batters faced. Will Smith then broke up the early perfect game bid with a solo home run that hit off the foul pole in left field.
Trea Turner later added to Freeland’s woes in the inning by pulling a homer that hooked in fair down the line.
The two runs were all Freeland allowed as he struck out seven over six innings. He was backed by a Rockies bullpen that ranks as one of the worst in baseball.
Jhoulys Chacin retired the side in order in the seventh inning, and Daniel Bard worked around a Smith base hit in the eighth. After Elias Diaz provided some insurance with a leadoff home run in the ninth, Carlos Estevez worked around a Mookie Betts base hit and wild pitch to close the game out.
Dodgers vs. sub-.500 teams
With their loss, the Dodgers are now a pedestrian 30-30 against opponents with a losing record.
“It’s very important,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said of winning games against inferior teams. “That’s what makes the Major League Baseball season so unique, is you play 162 (games) and it’s a grind.
“Not letting down against lesser opponents, or whatever you want to call it, is important. You’ve still got to beat those teams above .500, but the goal is to win more games in the regular season than teams in your division.
“We’ve done a pretty good job at that, and we’ve just got to keep winning against whoever we play.”
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