I know, last week was rough. It was hard to be optimistic after a poor homestand when the Colorado Rockies took their struggling offense on the road against the best team in the National League. Nonetheless, the Rockies defeated the Dodgers 6-4 to secure a series win. If there’s a theme to this series, it is the possibility that if talented players such as Carlos Gonzalez and Trevor Story can overcome subpar seasons to get hot, so can this Colorado Rockies team. In the first two games, Gonzalez was a key player. This game was Story’s as he drove in three of the Rockies six runs. This was a team win as Chad Bettis gave a solid start, the Rockies bullpen was lights out, and every position player in the Rockies starting lineup reached base at least once.
The Rockies grabbed the lead in the second inning off of Dodgers starter Alex Wood. Gerardo Parra led off the inning with a double and Story followed up with a two-run homer. After Ian Desmond was hit by a pitch he would eventually score on Charlie Blackmon’s single to center. Wood then walked LeMahieu, putting runners on first and second for Nolan Arenado, who drove Blackmon in with a single to left for the fourth run in the inning.
Bettis pitched well at the start allowing only one hit for the first three innings. In the fourth, the Rockies defense let him down. A rare throwing error by Arenado let Chris Taylor reach second base. He scored on Justin Turner’s single to center. Cody Bellinger’s double to right field put runners on second and third for Yasiel Puig, who drove both runners in with a double of his own. After Bettis struck out Yasmani Grandal, Logan Forsythe reached on an error by Story. However, Bettis got Pederson to line out to right to end the frame with the score 4-3 in the Rockies favor.
The Rockies got one run back in the top of the fifth. Mark Reynolds reached on a single, but was taken off the basepaths after a ground ball to Forsythe by Gerardo Parra got Reynolds forced out. Story then drove Parra in with a double to give the Rockies a two run lead.
Bettis came back out for the fifth inning but gave up a home run to Andre Ethier to nudge the score back to 5-4 Rockies. He finished the rest of the inning, sandwiching a Cory Seager single between two strikeouts to finish the frame. That would end Bettis’ night with a line score of five innings, allowing six hits and four runs, only three of them earned, with no walks and five strikeouts.
Wood was also removed in the top of the sixth for reliever Ross Stripling. In his five innings of work, Wood allowed eight hits, three walks and struck out two as he gave up five runs. It then became a battle of the bullpens, trading zeroes for the sixth through eighth innings. Only two Dodgers and one Rockies player reached base during that time frame.
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen entered the ninth inning to try to keep the Rockies close. Instead, the Rockies doubled down. Arenado reached on a double to left, then scored when Parra doubled to center field, extending the Rockies lead to 6-4. Jensen got out of the jam by striking out Story and Desmond back to back.
Holland came on in the ninth, trying for his 39th save. Forsythe, the first Dodgers batter, worked the count full then hit a home run to bring the Dodgers within one run. Then Holland slammed the door, striking out Joc Pederson, Curtis Granderson and inducing a groundball from Chris Taylor to secure the win with a final tally of 6-5 Rockies.
The Rockies go for a sweep of the four game series against the Dodgers tomorrow at 2:10 PM MST. Tyler Chatwood will be facing off against Dodgers veteran Rich Hill. The game will be broadcast on TBS.