DENVER — For the first time this season, the Dodgers have lost back-to-back games.
And in a 9-6 loss to the Rockies on Sunday, they picked an ugly way to do it.
After leading by three runs early, the Dodgers slowly wilted on a sunny afternoon at Coors Field. Roki Sasaki repeatedly stubbed his toe at the end of a 4 ⅔-inning, three-run start. Blake Treinen surrendered another lead in the seventh with a clunker out of the bullpen. The offense went quiet over the second half of the game.
Even Edwin Díaz’s return to action, after a nine-day layoff amid a drop in velocity that caused concern over his knee, only gave the club more questions to answer.
The Dodgers scored the first three runs, plating two in the third on an RBI single from Alex Freeland and an RBI double from Shohei Ohtani, then another in the fourth whendebuting 28-year-old prospect Ryan Wardlofted a line drive over the second baseman’s head for his first career hit and an RBI single.
Alas, just like their loss Saturday, the offense cooled off, scoring only once more until the ninth.
And, also like Saturday, their pitching couldn’t keep them in front at hitter-friendly Coors Field.
The meltdown started with Sasaki, who couldn’t maintain his strong start to the day.
In the first three frames, the right-hander retired 8 of 10 batters he faced while attacking with his fastball. But after that, he let 8 of 12 reach base while once again losing his command.
The Rockies got one run in the fourth, an inning that could’ve been worse if not for a double play that retired the side. They then tied the game in the fifth, when Kyle Karros hit a 448-foot blast to lead the inning off and Edouard Julien followed Jake McCarthy’s double with an RBI single.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
