You wouldn’t know it by the 6-1 final score, but the Rockies actually had a sliver of a chance to capture a rare victory at Dodger Stadium Friday night.
In the fourth inning, the Rockies tied the game, 1-1, combining a leadoff single by Ezequiel Tovar, a walk by Ryan McMahon, an infield hit by Brendan Rodgers, and a throwing error by Los Angeles third baseman Enrique Hernandez.
With runners on second and third and nobody out, Colorado needed one clutch hit to take charge. But Dodgers right-hander Lance Lynn struck out Elias Diaz and Nolan Jones and then got Michael Toglia to fly out to left. Opportunity wasted.
From that point on, the Rockies’ hitters went quietly into the SoCal night, getting just three hits over the final five innings. By the time “I Love L.A.” blared out of the speakers, the Rockies struck out 16 times, the 10th time this season they have fanned at least 15 times.
Since 2019, the Rockies are now 9-28 at Dodger Stadium.
“It was a little bit of (the Dodgers’) stuff and a little bit of too big of swings with two strikes,” manager Bud Black told AT&T SportsNet in Los Angeles. “We have to do a better job with (our two-strike approach), especially our younger players. They are learning on the job, for sure.”
Actually, every player in the lineup struck out at least once, except for veteran second baseman Harold Castro. Veteran left fielder and leadoff hitter Jurickson Profar fanned three times.
L.A., winners of six straight games, blew the game open with a four-run sixth, with three earned runs being charged to lefty reliever Justin Bruihl, the former Dodger making his Rockies debut. He gave up two hits, walked a batter and hit a batter. Left fielder Jurickson Profar misplayed a flyball that led to another run.
Starter Austin Gomber — who was “fighting a little bit of a balky back all week,” as Black put it — certainly gave Colorado a chance to win against the Dodgers’ powerful lineup.
The left-hander flirted with danger, giving up a leadoff hit in each of his five innings, but kept the Rockies in the game with some crafty pitching. He yielded two runs on eight hits, struck out two and walked one.
“I’m proud of Austin,” Black said. “He went out there maybe not 100% but he battled and he competed.”
The Dodgers got back-to-back singles from Amed Rosario and Hernandez to open the second, but Gomber escaped, thanks to the cannon arm of center fielder Brenton Doyle. Doyle caught a flyball from James Outman for the second out and threw a 96.6 mph strike to home to throw out the speedy Rosario to end the inning. Doyle’s assist was his seventh of the season, tied for the most in the majors and the best among all rookie outfielders. It was his third outfield-to-home double play.
L.A. took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on a leadoff double by Mookie Betts, who advanced to third on Freddie Freeman’s fly out to center and scored on Rosario’s groundout to third.
“I felt like I was good enough to go, so that’s why I went out there tonight,” Gomber said. “I’m not going to use (the back) as an excuse or anything like that. I don’t think I felt 100% but I felt like I was competitive and gave us a chance.
“There were a few more mistakes and a little bit less command than in my last few times out, but overall, I felt like I was able to take the ball, and I took it.”
In his last eight starts, Gomber is 5-2 with a 2.63 ERA with 28 strikeouts vs. seven walks.
Blackmon update. Veteran designated hitter/right fielder Charlie Blackmon was scheduled to join Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday to begin his rehab assignment on Saturday. Black told reporters in Los Angeles that he expects Blackmon to play “a couple of games” before Blackmon rejoins the Rockies. Blackmon has been out since June 10 with a fractured right hand.
Roster move. Bruihl was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque prior to Friday’s game and right-hander Tommy Doyle optioned to Triple-A.
Bruihl, acquired from the Dodgers for cash on Aug. 1, came on in relief for Gomber in the sixth inning. In 20 relief appearances for the Dodgers this season, Bruihl had a 4.07 ERA with 19 strikeouts and eight walks in 24 1/3 innings.
In six games across two stints with the Rockies this season, Doyle has a 3.97 ERA.
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