Recap: Pederson Has Big Night, Guerrero Hits Grand Slam In Dodgers Win
After Alberto Callaspo singled to leadoff the fourth inning, Hale struck out the side, consisting of Rollins (swinging), Chris Heisey (looking) and Greinke (swinging). The Rockies put their best offensive inning together in the fourth as Carlos Gonzalez and Arenado both reached on singles with no outs.
Paulsen drew a walk to load the bases and a run scored on Hundley’s force out. It left runners on the corners with one out, but the Rockies wouldn’t get anything else and settled for pulling within a run of the Dodgers at 4-3 after four innings.
Hale flirted with danger in the fifth as both Pederson and Hernandez flied out to just in front of the warning track in right field and to the warning track in right-center, respectively. Adrian Gonzalez chased a pitch in the dirt to end the inning and Hale had five strikeouts through five frames.
The Rockies had their leadoff man reach a fourth consecutive inning, this time behind Blackmon’s single to right field. However, he was erased from the bases on a 1-6-3 double play and Troy Tulowitzki popped out popped out to end the fifth.
After Grandal’s leadoff single, Andre Ethier made like LeMahieu in the fifth by hitting into a 1-6-3 double play. Callaspo then grounded out to end the inning. Carlos Gonzalez hit back to the box for the first out in the bottom of the sixth, becoming the first Rockies leadoff hitter to be retired since the first inning.
A Paulsen two-out single then started a two-out rally that propelled the Rockies into a lead. Hundley’s RBI double off the right-center field fence tied the game, and Barnes’ line-drive single out of Hernandez’s reach gave the Rockies a 5-4 lead before Greinke could get out of the inning.
Brooks Brown replaced Hale in the seventh and issued a leadoff walk to Rollins. The Dodgers then avoided a potential double play as Rollins ran on a pitch Heisey grounded to third. After Turner pinch-hit for Greinke and grounded out, Rollins stole third with the Rockies in a shift.
Adding to his string of impressive at-bats, Pederson hit his first career triple in the Majors and the Dodgers tied the game at 5-5. Pederson’s clutch triple to tie the game was offset as Yimi Garcia allowed a one-out single in the bottom half of the inning, followed by a two-run home run to Tulowitzki that pushed the Rockies back in the lead.
Adam Liberatore came on in relief of Garcia and retired the two batters he faced to keep the score at 7-5 in favor of the Rockies. Boone Logan struck out Gonzalez to open the eighth, then turned the ball over to Scott Oberg, who solved his woes against the Dodgers and recorded the next two outs to end the inning.
Hundley hit a broken-bat double that just stayed fair down the left field line and scored on Barnes’ RBI single to center that extended the Rockies’ lead to 8-5. Barnes took second on Pederson’s throw home, which prompted the Dodgers to intentionally walk pinch-hitter Wilin Rosario.
After Liberatore got Blackmon to fly out, he was removed as part of a double switch. Freshly called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City, Josh Ravin entered, along with Alex Guerrero, who took over in left field. Additionally, Heisey moved from left to right field.
The hard-throwing Ravin lit up the radar gun and struck out LeMahieu looking. Rafael Betancourt allowed a trio of singles to Callaspo, Rollins and Heisey and the Dodgers loaded the bases with no outs. Betancourt nearly escaped by striking out Turner and getting Pederson to foul out before serving up a grand slam to Guerrero with two strikes.
In a game of inches, Guerrero’s grand slam to center field just cleared Blackmon’s glove on his leaping attempt. Tommy Kahnle replaced Betancourt and he allowed the Dodgers to again load the bases. However, Kahnle got out of trouble on Callaspo’s line out to center.
Making his first appearance since May 25, Kenley Jansen painted the inside corner for called strike three on Tulowitzki for the first out. Carlos Gonzalez ripped a single by a diving Turner at second base and it turned into a double as Heisey booted the ball.
After Gonzalez advanced to third on Arenado’s grounder to Rollins, Jansen sealed the Dodgers’ 9-8 come-from-behind win and earned his fifth save in as many tries this season.
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