Down two runs in the seventh inning Monday night, the Dodgers needed just two hits to turn the game around.
In a 5-3 win over the Colorado Rockies, the Dodgers turned what had been a frustrating night at the plate into a productive late night, taking advantage of the wild Rockies with a go-ahead three-run rally that gave them their third straight victory.
The seventh inning began with a back-to-back walk from Rockies right-hander Juan Mejia. Lefty Brennan Bernardino then came in and robbed Miguel Rojas on an 0-2 curveball.
Just like that, the Dodgers had the bases loaded with no outs. Their order would go up. And even though they had gone 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position up until that point in the night, their streak of missed opportunities would not last.
Instead, Shohei Ohtani got a one-run home run by hitting a potential double into the first inning. Mookie Betts tied the score with a sacrifice fly to left field, hitting just deep enough for the speedy Hyeseong Kim to run to the plate.
After that, in the end, the team got big hits. Freddie Freeman laced a double to right to give the Dodgers their first lead at 4-3. Andy Pages extended it in the next at-bat with an RBI single to shallow right.
A two-run advantage will never be threatened again.
All night long, the Dodgers had been desperate for an inning.
Without it, the contributions from the other two stars of the night would have been wasted.
Kiké Hernández went 2-for-2 in his first game back from elbow surgery, got a lot of buzz before his first at-bat — then even more buzz when he lined an RBI double in the bottom of the third to put the Dodgers on the board.
Starter Emmet Sheehan pitched a six-inning, two-run start. He gave up a 1-0 lead by allowing two runs in the fourth, an inning that included a 103.8 mph comebacker that pierced his right shoulder.
However, despite two separate visits from manager Dave Roberts and athletic trainer Thomas Albert, Sheehan asked to continue the game, retiring eight of the nine batters he faced.
That kept the Dodgers within striking distance.
Finally, their sin arose.
What does it mean
The Dodgers are still hot.
Fresh off a thrilling 7-2 road trip, and having won nine of 11 games overall, the club stayed in the win column Monday with its 18th win of the season — representing more than half of its 34-game winning streak.
During this time, the Dodgers offense has continued to find ways to produce runs on a regular basis. Monday was the eighth time in the last 12 games they scored at least five; all these were wins.
Who is hot
Hernández had been waiting two long months for Monday night, after opening the season on the 60-day disabled list while recovering from offseason surgery.
He didn’t wait long to act, jumping on the second pitch he saw from Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon for his RBI double in the third.
Hernández would get just one more at bat, slicing an infield single in the fifth that was fouled by Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros.
After that, the Dodgers made a tactical hit in his place in the seventh, first inserting Dalton Rushing to get the lefty Bernardino in the game, before throwing to Rojas in the at-bat for the platoon.
The hit-by-pitch was probably not what they had in mind. But it worked just the same.
Who is not
Bulls for the Dodgers, but just barely.
After setting a record by stringing together 38 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to May 12, the team’s relief team finally faltered on Monday.
In the top of the seventh, the first man out of the bullpen, right-hander Kyle Hurt, gave up a run to the first batter he faced, Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar.
With that, the Dodgers’ bullpen streak ended 7 ⅔ innings shy of the all-time MLB record. It went down as the team’s longest streak since Cleveland in 2017.
However, the unit is delivered where it matters. Hurt made it through the seventh unscathed. Will Klein suddenly protected a 5-3 lead with a 1-2-3 eighth, ending on a 100.5 mph fastball. Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen then combined in the ninth, and Treinen collected the final out to record his first save of the year.
Next
The streak continues Tuesday, when Eric Lauer will make his Dodger debut after being acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays last week. He will face fellow lefty Kyle Freeland (1-5, 7.04 ERA).
