Dodger blues continue in Lodo
Cron’s grand slam only bright spot for struggling Colorado
The gulf separating the Rockies and the Dodgers is huge.
Like Grand Canyon huge.
The Dodgers proved it again Friday night at Coors Field, romping to a 10-4 victory in front of 44,251 fans — many of them wearing Dodger blue.
Colorado has been very good at home, entering Friday’s game with a 31-17 record and sporting an 18-5 record at Coors since May 21. The Rockies were 6-1 during their final homestand before the allstar break when their starters posted a 1.57 ERA.
But none of that mattered a lick to the defending World Series champion Dodgers. They regularly whip the Rockies, be it in Los Angeles or Lodo.
The Rockies opened the season with a victory over the Dodgers at Coors, but since then, the Dodgers have won seven straight and are 15-3 in their last 18 games against Colorado. Since the beginning of the 2018 season, the Dodgers own a 42-15 advantage.
Those who stuck around the ballpark long enough got to witness a milestone moment in the Dodgers’ ninth. Albert Pujols, 41, rocketed a pinch-hit single off of 25-year-old Rockies lefty Lucas Gilbreath. It was career hit No. 3,284 for Pujols, moving him past Willie Mays for 11th in majorleague history.
The one shining moment for the Rockies was first baseman C.J. Cron’s grand slam off lefty Julio Urias in the third, a 465-foot blast to left-center that cut L.A.’S lead to 5-4. Cron, the subject of trade speculation, has hit four career grand slams, including two this season.
The Rockies did little offensively after that. They put two runners on in the seventh against reliever Phil Bickford, but pinchhitter Raimel Tapia grounded into a double play, ending the would-be rally.
The Dodgers lit into righthanded starter Chi Chi Gonzalez from the get-go.
Mookie Betts led off the game with a double, then Gonzalez hit Justin Turner and walked Will Smith to load the bases. Cody Bellinger made Gonzalez pay with a two-run double and Chris Taylor rubbed it in with a threerun homer. Taylor ambushed Gonzalez’s 1-1, 87 mph cutter.
Gonzalez was originally scheduled to pitch Saturday’s game, but when starter Antonio Senzatela was placed on the injured list Friday because of COVID-19 protocols, Gonzalez was moved up a day.
He was gone after four innings, having given up seven runs on nine hits, his ERA climbing to 5.99.
L.A. tacked on three runs in the fifth against side-armed righthander Justin Lawrence. His three walks set him up for failure, and the Dodgers cashed in with a sacrifice fly by Mookie Betts and a two-run single by Will Smith.