Rockies Outslug Dodgers and Get Within One Game of the Leaders

The Dodgers are not a team to trifle with.  Josh has built a team that is strong everywhere, and he's started his season 18-6.  The Rockies certainly have strengths as well, and we have managed to cash in those strengths to start the 2026, to the tune of 15-9 coming into this one.  We'd have been pleased with a split.  But it went better than that....

GAME 1

Dodgers - 1

Rockies - 8

Robbie Ray was staked to a 5-0 lead thanks to a 4th inning grand slam (3-4 straight homer) from Matt Olson.  That's was plenty for him.  He'd allow just six hits and strike out 8 Dodgers.  Tovar did notch a solo homer, but that was it.  

Starters - Rasmussen and Ray

WP - Ray  LP - Rasmussen  HR - Tovar, Olson

GAME 2

Dodgers - 5

Rockies - 1

The Dodgers were up 3-0 pretty early, and the purple bats went very cold.  Ohtani pitched 5 shutout frames, and Emmet Sheehan, Jason Adam, and Aroldis Chapman would hold the Rocks down until a 1-out RBI groundout got us on the board with just one out left.  No really exciting games yet, but just wait a sec.

Starters - Ohtani and Glasnow

WP - Ohtani  LP - Glasnow   HR - Wood

GAME 3

Dodgers - 9

Rockies - 11

The Rocks would jump all over Chris Bassitt and grab an 11-2 lead!  Fernando Tatis hit his 3-column in his first 3 at bats, and netted 3 hits and two homeruns.  By the 6th, both teams were putting in subs and saving at bats.  But the Rocks bullpen would show its true colors.  Aaron Civale pitched a clean 6th, then cratered, giving up 2 homers and 5 runs in the 7th.  The Rocks held it together in the 8th, and then handed the ball to Caleb Thielbar in the 9th.  It did not go great.  Thielbar quickly retired Robles and Riley, but then:

Turang - walk

Castro - RBI double

Pages - single

Ohtani - RBI single

and the hook comes out.  Emilio Pagan rolls in.  Hunter Goodman steps in the box.  First pitch fastball....Goodman jumps on it...deep fly.  1-9 ballpark homer for a dodgers lead....the roll comes up "15" - whew.

Starters - Bassitt and Perez

WP - Perez  LP - Bassitt   SV - Pagan   HR - Rosario, Pages, Riley, Tatis (2), Gurriel

GAME 4

Dodgers - 3

Rockies - 10

Close game through 5...both teams had plenty of early hits and the Rocks nursed a 4-3 lead.  But Gurriel struck again in the 6th, notching a 2-out, 3-run bomb off of Yamamoto.  And the Rockies bullpen did not crumble, allowing just a couple of singles and walks over the last 3.

Starters - Yamamoto and Kershaw

WP - Kershaw  LP - Yamamoto   HR - Gurriel

Dodgers are 19-9.  Rockies now one game back at 18-10.