The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the nightcap of Wednesday’s split doubleheader having been outscored by the Colorado Rockies, 15-1, through the first two games of the series. What’s more, Los Angeles was shut out during the afternoon matchup at Coors Field.
Chase Utley broke the Dodgers’ dry spell early in the nightcap by hitting a leadoff home run. Jeff Hoffman bounced back to retire the next three batters. Bud Norris, who started in place of Rich Hill, failed to protect the 1-0 lead.
He walked DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado with one out, then allowed an RBI single to David Dahl. Compacting matters, Norris cut off Andrew Toles’ thrown to home plate, to Yasmani Grandal’s dismay.
Gerardo Parra drew a walk to load the bases, then Stephen Cardullo cleared them with a grand slam. The home run was Cardullo’s second of the day, making for quite the 29th birthday.
Cristhian Adames tripled for the second time in as many games but was stranded by Hoffman. Grandal drew a leadoff walk in the second inning and later scored on Toles’ two-out double.
Norris allowed a leadoff single in the bottom half of the inning, but induced a double play and fly out to face the minimum. Hoffman walked Justin Turner with two outs in the third before completing the first scoreless inning for either side.
Parra lined a one-out single by a diving Utley with one out in the bottom of the third, and advanced into second base on Josh Reddick’s fielding error. Seager then committed an error on his attempt to backhand a chopper, allowing Parra to score.
Reddick lined a one-out single into left-center field with one out in the fourth. He moved into scoring position with two outs on a wild pitch and inning was kept alive by Toles drawing a walk. Rob Segedin pinch-hit for Norris but couldn’t produce in the RBI situation.
Grant Dayton was the first reliever out of the Dodgers’ bullpen and he turned in a pair of scoreless innings. Grandal walked with one out in the sixth but was replaced at first base when Reddick grounded into a force out.
Joc Pederson extended the inning by drawing a walk but Toles grounded out, and the Dodgers’ deficit remained 6-2. Jesse Chavez worked around an infield single to throw a scoreless sixth inning. Kiké Hernandez pinch-hit for Chavez to lead off the seventh and flied out.
Utley lined out and Seager struck out swinging to end another quiet inning for the Dodgers. The string of scoreless work from Dodgers relievers ended in the bottom of the seventh when Joe Blanton gave up a triple to LeMahieu, followed by a two-run homer to Arenado.
The Dodgers’ scoring drought ended in the eighth when Adrian Gonzalez and Grandal connected on back-to-back doubles, with Grandal’s driving in Gonzalez. Rockies reliever Matt Carasiti walked Reddick and was replaced by Carlos Estevez.
Pederson kept the line moving with an RBI single and Howie Kendrick’s sacrifice fly cut the Rockies’ lead to 8-5. LeMahieu made another impressive stop to rob Utley of a base hit, potential RBI, and end the Dodgers’ rally.
Adam Ottavino walked Seager to start the ninth and gave up base hit to Grandal with two outs to bring the tying run to the plate. Reddick didn’t even the score, but he knocked an RBI single into center to trim the Rockies’ lead to 8-6.
Pederson worked a walk and it paid off as Toles hit an opposite-field grand slam to give the Dodgers a 10-8 lead. Kenley Jansen shut the door in the bottom of the ninth to complete the Dodgers’ largest comeback this season (six-run deficit).
With the late rally, Los Angeles avoided setting a new low for runs scored during a three-game set at Coors Field since they scored eight runs from May 27-29, 2003. The Dodgers also avoided being swept by the Rockies for the second time in their last four series played in Denver.
