On Monday night, the Dodgers found themselves down by two runs in the seventh inning but quickly turned things around with just two hits.
They secured a 5-3 win against the Colorado Rockies, capitalizing on a wild pitch to score three crucial runs in what was initially a frustrating game, marking their third consecutive victory.
The seventh inning kicked off with Rockies pitcher Juan Mejia issuing consecutive walks. Then, lefty Brennan Bernardino hit Miguel Rojas with a curveball, loading the bases with no outs.
The lineup, usually reliable, had been struggling, going just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position prior to this moment. But, fortunately, that streak of missed chances came to an end.
Instead of a double play, Shohei Ohtani hit a grounder to first, managing to drive in a run for the home team. Mookie Betts then tied the game with a sacrifice fly to left field, followed by Hyesung Kim’s deep hit that also brought in another run.
Finally, Freddie Freeman delivered a big hit, a double off the right-field wall that put the Dodgers ahead 4-3, with Andy Pages adding another run with an RBI single shortly thereafter.
Once in the lead, the Dodgers’ advantage was never in jeopardy again.
They had been longing for a productive inning like this throughout the night.
Without it, standout performances from others might have gone unnoticed.
Quique Hernandez returned after two months due to offseason elbow surgery and went 2-for-2, earning cheers even before his first at-bat. The loudest reactions came when he hit an RBI double in the third inning, putting the Dodgers ahead.
Starting pitcher Emmett Sheehan lasted six innings, giving up two runs. In the fourth, he suffered a shoulder injury after a hard hit but, despite needing visits from the manager and the head athletic trainer, he pushed through, retiring eight of the last nine batters.
This resilience kept the Dodgers in the game, eventually igniting their offense.
What It Means
The Dodgers are on a roll.
After an impressive 7-2 road trip and winning nine out of their last 11 games, they bagged their 18th come-from-behind win of the season on Monday, making up more than half of their 34 total victories.
During this stretch, the Dodgers kept searching for ways to score consistently, and Monday marked the eighth time in 12 games they scored at least five runs. Ultimately, that’s a good sign.
Who Is Hot
Hernandez was eager to return after spending two long months on the injured list. It didn’t take him long to make an impact, hitting an RBI double down the line in Rockies pitcher Tanner Gordon’s second offering.
He had one more at-bat left and, in the fifth inning, managed a hit due to a misplay by Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros.
In the seventh, the Dodgers strategically switched him out. They first brought in Dalton Rushing against Bernardino and then opted for Rojas for a better matchup, which, surprisingly, worked out quite well.
Who Is Not?
On the downside, the Dodgers’ bullpen was shaky.
After a franchise-record streak of 38 consecutive scoreless innings since May 12, the relief squad faced challenges on Monday.
Right-hander Kyle Hart, the first reliever out of the bullpen, allowed a home run to Ezequiel Tovar, the first batter he faced, breaking their impressive streak just shy of the all-time MLB record. This was the longest scoreless stretch since Cleveland in 2017.
Despite that, the bullpen managed to hold it together when it mattered most. Hart finished the game with a clean slate, while Will Klein pitched a flawless eighth inning with a notable fastball. Alex Beshear and Blake Treinen combined for a scoreless ninth, with Treinen earning his first save of the season.
To The Next
The series continues on Tuesday, featuring Eric Lauer in his Dodgers debut after being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays, against Colorado’s Kyle Freeland.
