The Dodgers, currently leading their division, might find themselves in a situation where the remaining regular season games lack significance.
Nonetheless, it would be pretty embarrassing to lose a series to the last-place Rockies, which is something they should avoid, regardless of how the standings look.
On Wednesday, they managed to do just that, securing a 4-3 win in the last game of the series at Dodger Stadium. Mookie Betts clinched the game with a decisive run in the eighth inning after a notable nine-pitch at-bat.
For most of the game, the Dodgers struggled to create quality chances, having initially scored three runs in the first inning.
After that, the Rockies found their rhythm behind their debuting pitcher, Gabriel Hughes. However, Aki Sasaki, the Rockies’ starter, managed to keep it close by allowing only three runs over six innings.
Sasaki did enough to keep the game tied. Then, in the top of the eighth, the Dodgers’ bullpen faced a bit of a challenge with two on and no outs (it later escalated to bases loaded with one out). But, in the bottom of the inning, the offense found some spark again.
The rally kicked off with singles from Tommy Edman and Freddie Freeman against Rockies reliever Antonio Sensatella.
At this point, Betts came into focus; going into the match, he was only 1-for-15, and his previously strong performance had slipped.
He found himself quickly in a two-strike situation but managed to make it a full count after fouling off three tough pitches (a cutter, a curveball, and a fastball hitting 99 mph).
On the ninth pitch, Sensatella’s sinker hung too high. Betts took advantage, sending it deep to take the lead at 4-3.
Tanner Scott notched his ninth save, sealing the series win.
They skirted a potential embarrassment and continue their forward momentum into October.
What It Means
The Dodgers (61-33) keep piling on the wins, claiming their fifth straight series on Wednesday and holding the best record in baseball.
With just a week left before the All-Star break, they’re two games behind the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in the National League and six and a half behind the Atlanta Braves, who are positioned for a first-round bye.
Who Is Hot
Sasaki, at least, had a solid performance by the end of the night.
A week after a tough outing—a six-run third inning against the Padres—he started on shaky ground on Wednesday, giving up back-to-back home runs and a sacrifice fly after allowing a walk and a wild pitch.
In the fourth, he almost found himself in deeper trouble, with two on and no outs. But, the young right-hander regained his composure, racking up strikeouts with fastballs ranging from 99 to 160 mph.
He settled down thereafter, retiring six batters in a row, making a nice catch in the fifth, and adding two more strikeouts in the sixth (one on a splitter and the other on a slider).
As he concludes an inconsistent first half, he heads into the All-Star break with a record of 3 wins, 5 losses, and an ERA of 5.33. Still, this game will be remembered as a high-quality performance, breaking a streak of four games with ERAs above 10.00.
Who Is Not?
The Dodgers started strong in the first inning, racking up three runs thanks to Tommy Edman, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, and Kyle Tucker.
However, Alex Cole ran into trouble with the infamous ABS call.
He incorrectly challenged a strike call twice in consecutive pitches, squandering both of the Dodgers’ ABS chances, which led to a strikeout that ended the inning and allowed Hughes to regroup.
From then on, he retired 15 straight batters as the Rockies clawed their way back into the match.
To The Next
The Dodgers will have a day off before concluding the first half with a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend. The season opener on Friday will see Shohei Ohtani (8 wins, 2 losses, 1.79 ERA) take the mound.
