Doubleheader Part One: Joc Rox but Dodger Bullpen Blows

The long day for the Dodgers in Colorado began with an optimistic outlook after the Boys in Blue picked up a game on the Giants after collecting 18 hits in their win at Coors Field on Monday night. unfortunately, the Dodgers offense couldn’t overcome the lack of a viable starting pitcher in the game. The Dodgers didn’t exactly have a solid pitching plan in place for Game 1 of the doubleheader against the Rockies, and they ended up using five pitchers in the 6-3 loss. I imagined Joe Wieland and Zach Lee watching the game and thinking about themselves on the mound instead. I was so looking forward to the potential Zach/Zack doubleheader, but it was not to be.

Dodgers 3 5 1

Rockies 6 12 0

WP- De La Rosa (2-2)

LP- Thomas (0-1)

S- Axford (10)

HR- Pederson (15), McKenry (3), Paulsen (4)

Juan Nicasio perhaps could have pitched a bit longer than the two innings he was on the mound since he was in familiar territory, but I got the sense that the Dodgers wanted to use the opportunity to take a look at their new acquisition, lefty Ian Thomas. Thomas did have a key walk against De La Rosa which netted one of the Dodgers three runs, but he also allowed 4 runs on 5 hits through 3 innings of work in his debut and was tagged with his first loss.

Then the three Dodger relievers beginning with a “H” followed. J.P. Howell, Chris Hatcher and David Huff each pitched an inning each, but it was the Colorado bullpen (Boone Logan, Rafael Betancourt and John Axford) which was more successful shutting down the Dodgers in the final three innings.

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In the second inning, there was another costly base running blunder for the Dodgers. Alex Guerrero hit a ground-rule double over the center field wall, but he was thrown out at home by Carlos Gonzalez when he attempted to score on a Kiké Hernandez single. Guerrero stood no chance against CarGo’s arm in right field. Guerrero was looking at CarGo in the outfield while running and was thrown out by a mile.

The Rockies scored a run in the bottom half of the second thanks to a leadoff Nolan Arenado double and the smallest of infield singles by Daniel Descalso. The little slow grounder to second was unable to be fielded fast enough by Howie Kendrick, and Descalso just beat out the throw allowing Arenado to come home.

Joc Rox.

Then Joc Pederson catapulted a monster two-run homerun (Austin Barnes had walked) into the second deck of Coors Field to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead! That’s Joc’s 15th homerun of the year. The homerun was estimated at an incredible 477 feet.

Juan Nicasio pitched 2 innings and allowed 1 run on 3 hits with 1 strikeout and no walks on 41 pitches.

The Rockies took back the lead in the fourth off Ian Thomas who made his Dodger debut. Thomas was one of the four players acquired in the Juan Uribe trade with the Atlanta Braves. After a leadoff Ben Paulson double, Michael McKenry hit a two-run homerun to center field off the left-hander.

The Dodgers tied it up in the top of the fifth inning thanks to Ian Thomas who drew a walk from Jorge De La Rosa in his first major league at bat. Joc Pederson walked, and Chris Heisey‘s single loaded the bases. De La Rosa walked in the tying run after a free pass to Adrian Gonzalez.

The Rockies regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Thomas allowed a leadoff single to DJ LeMahieu who then stole second base. Arenado keeps giving the Dodgers a hard time in the series, and his RBI single brought in LeMahieu. Then McKenry came up with his third RBI of the day on a double to left field, and Colorado expanded their lead to two runs.

Jorge De La Rosa pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits with 6 strikeouts and 4 walks on 98 pitches.

The Rockies tacked on a sixth run in the seventh on a Ben Paulsen solo homerun off none other than Chris Hatcher.

The Dodgers were shut down through the final four innings, and the offense could not come back this time.

The Dodgers are now 30-21 on the season and 9-14 on the road.

Next up: Zack Greinke counters David Hale in the second part of the doubleheader at Coors Field.