The Rockies playoff hopes took another blow on Thursday night as they fell to the Dodgers, 9-3. Colorado scored two in the first but were unable to get anything going on offense after that. Meanwhile, Kyle Freeland’s great outing turned sour as the bullpen allowed six runs in the seventh inning to put the game out of reach. The Rockies (22-27) now find themselves five games below .500 and now two games back from the eighth and final playoff spot.
Kyle Freeland’s good night
Let’s start out with the positive (singular) tonight. Freeland came into the game off two straight outings of six or more innings and two or fewer runs. He brought that momentum into Thursday’s game, facing one over the minimum through three. A leadoff homer from Corey Seager put the Dodgers on the board in the fourth but K-Free was able to navigate around a bases-loaded situation to keep the game at 2-2. He got one out in the sixth but the next two reached and his night was over. His final line: 6 1⁄3 IP, 6 H, 4 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 96 pitches.
Bullpen betrayal
But that’s where things got ugly for the Rockies. Carlos Estevez came in with two on and the Dodgers went single, double, (wild pitch, run scores), strikeout, walk, double to chase Estevez from the game. Jairo Diaz also struggled though: walk, (passed ball), bases loaded walk, before getting Kiké Hernandez, the eleventh man to come to the plate, to groundout to end the inning. What was a 2-2 game was now an 8-2 game.
“Welcome back”
Oh, and just for good measure, Wade Davis entered this game and allowed a home run on the second pitch he’s thrown since July. Edwin Rios hit that ball 427 ft, 110.4 mph, with a 25 degree launch angle. In non-number-speak, he hit it really hard. Wade’s reaction is telling:
— RoxGifsVids (@RoxGifsVids) September 18, 2020
Up Next
Game two of this last series against the Dodgers is scheduled for Friday at 6:10 pm MT. Ryan Castellani (1-2, 4.46 ERA) will start for the Rockies; the Dodgers have not announced a starter yet.