The Dodgers went to bed last night feeling pretty good about themselves after taking two of three games from Atlanta. They will go to bed tonight feeling quite differently. Scott Kazmir came into Coors Field with a personal mission of pushing beyond the fourth inning demon that has been stopping him. He managed to go five innings, but it’s going to take a lot more than that to win in Colorado.
The starting pitcher can’t give up four fast runs, relief pitchers can’t walk batters to start an inning, or keep giving up two-out RBI’s, and the bats will have to do better than 3 for 7 with RISP.
1st inning
Dodgers
The Dodgers came out of the gate strong as Chase Utley smashed a lead off double. Then Corey Seager cracked the seal on the Coors Field launching pad. He got a hold of one of those low ones that lefties with power love. Corey swung low and the ball flew high in the light Colorado air. The score was 2-0 before the seats were warm.
And then Adrian Gonzalez stepped in.
He got one right in his wheelhouse – KABOOM!! Carlos Gonzalez didn’t even move. He just cranked his neck to watch Gonzo’s missile fly over him and into the upper deck.
2nd inning Dodgers 3-0
The Rockies got one back.
4th inning Dodgers 3-1
Rockies
Nolan Arenado took Kazmir deep to left field on a solo home run. Dodgers 3-2.
Ryan Raburn then crushed a two-run home run to take the lead, 4-3, over the Dodgers.
5th inning Rockies 4-3
Dodgers
Bases loaded and two out for The Butter and Eggs Man.
Base hit, two run single! The Dodgers retake the lead, 5-4.
Rockies
Trevor Story thought he hit a triple high off the right field wall. However, Yasiel Puig – who had earlier been denied trying to throw someone out at third – had something to say about that. Puig played it off the bounce, and from 350 feet, gunned Story down at third base, beating him by half a foot! It was a magnificent play!
Bulldog Orel Hershiser, “Story did not expect that ending.”
At this point the Dodgers were looking pretty good. They were in a typical Coors Field scoring extravaganza, with multiple home runs from both teams, but they had the lead, the Puig play had stopped the Rockies cold, and the boys had momentum on their side.
6th inning Dodgers 5-4
Rockies
Pedro Baez, coming off getting beaned by an errant throw in the bullpen yesterday, came in to replace Kazmir.
Baez got three straight ground outs to extend the bulllpen’s scoreless streak to 27 1/3 innings.
7th inning Dodgers 5-4
Yimi Garcia in to protect the lead for the Dodgers.
Garcia could not find the strike zone and walked the lead off batter, whom the Rockies quickly cashed in to tie the game at 5-5.
With two out Yimi stopped pitching mid-batter, and motioned to the dugout for help. He then came out of the game, apparently with some type of arm injury. In came Adam Liberatore, who shut the door tight with a final out, strike out.
8th inning Score tied at 5.
Rockies
Chris Hatcher in.
The dreaded two out, two on bug bit again! Brandon Barnes took Hatcher’s mistake pitch all the way to the CF wall with a base-clearing triple. Rockies 7-5
Hatcher out – Luis Avilan in to get the third out for the Dodgers.
9th inning Rockies 7-5
Dodgers
Jake McGee in for the Rockies. A lefty with a big fastball in to face Trayce Thompson, Chase Utley and Corey Seager.
Thompson – K
Utley – Fly out left field
Seager – First pitch grounder to first. 3-u
Just as they did in Atlanta, the boys dropped the first game of this series. Tomorrow Kenta Maeda, a legitimate top of the order pitcher, will pitch for his first time in the thin Colorado air. Stay tuned, folks.
Scott Kazmir went 5 innings and gave up 6 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, 1K, and 2 home runs. 6.63
Home runs: Seager, Gonzalez
Triple: Utley
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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Dodgers played well enough to win, but they didn’t pitch well enough. Did anyone expect Kazmir to pitch any better at Coors than at sea level? Lots of big-name pitchers like Price and Greinke are struggling right now. I expect those guys to turn it around; I’m not so sure Kazmir will.
Blind Squirrel Arson Squad returns.
How long will the Hatcher experiment go on?
How many games has he blown this year on his own?
Hatcher lost the game. It was his 2nd loss. Officially a blown save was pinned on Garcia. He got a blown save when he gave up the game tying homer in Striplings game in SF. And it is not an experiment. He is considered the 8th inning guy. More disturbing is the loss of Garcia to injury, and the fact that Kazmir has been pitching with a bum finger.
Any game that Kazmir starts is an adventure. I hope he can find himself or we will find a long term deal in the Brett Anderson mode. Anyway, that game will be remembered for the most incredible throw and play I have ever seen. I used to think Yasiel had to go when Clayton lost faith. I’m glad no one listens to me and he made that play for the Dodgers. I’m not going to pontificate much about the bullpen, even Koufax had an off night now and then. Colorado is a tough place, I hope Kenta has a plan! Go Dodgers and hai!
Right on, Richard!
Yasiel is still a knucklehead, but he’s our knucklehead!
Kazmir obviously will not opt out. Just as obviously, he’s not tradeable. Dodgers best move might be to leave him in there, make him throw enough pitches to blow his arm out. That way the insurance company will cover most of his salary. If you don’t like that suggestion, you’re really not going to like my next one which is put out a contract on him…
Right biceps soreness and a sore thumb. The beat goes on here doesn’t it. Zach Lee, come on up.
Until this stops, why is it “silly” to believe it’s just going to continue?
We had a similar meltdown in Atlanta and turned it around. The difference of course is Colorado is better than Atlanta.
Blind Squirrels. Still waiting on them. Was hoping Maddux would eventually get through. Still hoping.
Hatcher not only gave up that triple with two outs, last night, he also had two strikes on the guy, and was still ahead on the count. To be sucessful, Hatcher, will have to be better, with his fastball command, especially in situations, like last night.
The pressure was really on the hitter, not Hatcher, so it should have been easy, for Hatcher, to command his fastball. And about Kazmir, the second at bat against him, should have told us, what kind of game, he was going to pitch. It took way to many pitches, to get the second batter, out, and that batter, was a rookie.
Every time Kazmir pitches, and doesn’t pitch well, it reminds me of all the wasted money on Anderson, and McCarthy. And the way Kazmir is pitching, he might be next. Roberts said that Kazmir mentioned, that his thumb was bothering him.
Kazmir has never looked like a veteran, with confidence, since he has pitched for the Dodgers, and that includes, spring training. I don’t know how he could have hurt his thumb, because he hasn’t pitched much.
In fact, he should have went out there and tried to pitch a good game, so the bullpen, wouldn’t have to pitch to many innings, since this was Colorado. Kazmir could have helped himself, and got over to first base to cover, to stop the Rockies, first run from scoring, but he couldn’t even make it to first on time.
And his follow through, isnt way over by third base line, like some leftys, so I don’t know what happened. It was just another bad performance from Kazmir, all around, even if it was Colorado.
All starting pitchers, have to pitch in Colorado, eventually, so Kazmir, should have done his best, to keep the Dodgers in the game. And about Puig’s throw, it was a really good throw. I just wish Puig would take his time, and square around, and make better throws, to home plate, so he can throw, more runners out at home.
If Puig would have took a little more time, and got in a better position, before he made the throw to home last night, he would have thrown the tagging runner, out at home. And it wouldn’t have even, been that close. Because Puig has an excellent arm, and usually throws it right on line.
And when Puig doesn’t have the time to think to much, he often throws better, like that amazing throw, he threw, last night. Because he doesn’t have time to think, so he didn’t get to excited. I hope Puig can learn to slow the game down, so he will be able to throw more runners out at home, and he will become a better hitter.
Puig has been trying to pull every pitch his gets lately, so I hope he starts hitting to the right side again. But I have to say, that after Puig made that great throw, I was really happy for Puig, and I hope this helps Puig, to have a good series in Colorado, as well as the Dodgers.
I like it when Puig’s throws make the highlight films. I figure every time this happens, there will be a dozen other players who decide NOT to try to take that extra base. We will have no idea the total number of bases not taken over a year’s time because of Puig’s potential throws.
HpWolfe that is a good point, and I think the Rookie learned that, last night!
Yup, good point, hpwolfe
MJ, there was an insane amount of pitches on that at bat. Over 13? It was a bunch.
I know Oscar, I had to get up, and walk around in my living room, because I was getting in patient with all of those pitches, that were thrown, and then finally, the Rookie struck himself out.
The Coors effect just diverts our attention from the fact that the staff lost 2 leads. One of them is put on the bullpen. We have to expect that this is an up and down group and always will be. Like 90% of baseball. But not the winners.
And I do have to say, that the team has to continue to score, more runs, especially in Colorado, and especially after scoring three runs, in the first inning. So this loss, wasn’t only on the pitchers.
Most definitely not all on the pitchers.
Too many mediocre at bats tonight. This place really should be someplace for the batters to shine. I’m figuring they’ll pull an Atlanta and take the next two.
Puig had a very cute tweet, about his throw last night. And he said something like this. Tonight I’m going to hit the cut off man. Sorry about last night. And then he said, skip not! Then he had a Emoji.