The Colorado Rockies slugged a pair of home runs and held off a rally in the ninth inning to extend their lead in the National League West back to 1.5 games by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2.
Whereas Walker Buehler tossed seven shutout innings and limited the Rockies to just four hits in last month’s start at Coors Field, he was susceptible to extra-base hits on Saturday. Chris Iannetta continued to torment the Dodgers by jumping on a first-pitch fastball in the third inning.
Iannetta’s solo home run gave the Rockies a 1-0 lead, and it was extended in the fourth when Ian Desmond cashed in David Dahl’s double with an RBI single. After the Dodgers cut their deficit in half, Charlie Blackmon answered with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.
Kyle Freeland added to what’s been an impressive season by holding the Dodgers to just one run on four hits over six innings. The southpaw recorded eight strikeouts against just two walks.
The lone run he allowed came on Chris Taylor’s leadoff homer in the fifth. The home run was Taylor’s 15th this season and first since Aug. 24.
After the home run the Dodgers managed to put five men on base against Freeland and the Rockies bullpen. When Manny Machado walked in the sixth inning, Freeland followed it by striking out Matt Kemp an David Freese.
Scott Oberg struck out Max Muncy and Joc Pederson after walking Cody Bellinger in the seventh. Chase Utley was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth, and he proceeded to steal second base, but was stranded by Justin Turner, Machado and Kemp.
Bellinger’s two-out triple in the ninth led to a run as Muncy followed with a double. Representing the tying run, Yasmani Grandal struck out looking on a borderline pitch. The Dodgers finished 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight overall.
