The Los Angeles Dodgers started their final homestand with a 10-1 thumping of the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a rare six-game series.
Mookie Betts opened their scoring with his first of two doubles on the night. He attacked the first pitch to drive it to the gap in left-center field and bring in Chris Taylor with two outs.
The Dodgers’ lead remained 1-0 until they got to Chad Kuhl in the fourth inning behind a season-high eight runs. Singles by Gavin Lux and Taylor set up Cody Bellinger to begin the onslaught with a three-run home run.
It was a bit of redemption considering Bellinger made quality contact in his first at-bat of the game but flied out.
Later in the fourth inning, Will Smith extended the Dodgers’ lead with an RBI single. Max Muncy followed with a ground-rule RBI double, Trayce Thompson added an RBI base hit, and Taylor’s second single of the inning drove in two runs.
The Dodgers only scored one more run that point on, but Clayton Kershaw and the bullpen upheld the commanding lead.
Kershaw got through six scoreless innings and retired nine of the final 10 batters faced. He improved to 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA in six starts since coming off the 15-day injured list on Sept. 1. Kershaw additionally has now completed at least six innings in each of his past five starts.
Friday’s game was the 400th of Kershaw’s career. That also applied to David Price, who stranded a two-out single in the eighth inning.
The Dodgers lost their bid for a shutout with Hanser Alberto on the mound in the ninth inning.
Dodgers have home-field advantage through World Series
Prior to their score going final, the Dodgers clinched home-field advantage through the World Series thanks to the Tampa Bay Rays defeating the Houston Astros.
No matter how the remaining five games unfold, the Dodgers are guaranteed to finish with the best record in baseball. Since starting a reign over the National League West in 2013, the Dodgers have held the best record in 2017 and 2020 — reaching the World Series in both years.
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