The Rockies played better, but finished road trip 0-6
At least this was a game.
The Rockies took a 1-0 lead before falling behind 7-1 by the end of the first inning after hammering Germán Márquez on Wednesday. Michael Toglia hit a grand slam to make it interesting and the bullpen allowed only one run in the final 7 1⁄3 innings to give the Rockies a chance, but Colorado (3-15) struck out 15 times as the Dodgers completed the series sweep on the Rockies 0-6 road trip.
Grand Toglia
Michael Toglia made his first homer of the season count big time as it drove in his second, third, fourth and fifth runs of the season as well. With one out and a 1-2 count, Toglia blasted a curveball 418 feet to center field to get the Rockies back in the game and cut L.A.’s lead to 7-5 in the third inning. Mickey Moniak followed with a solo shot for his second homer of the season to make it 7-6. The Rockies now have 12 homers on the season.
Márquez meltdown
All it took was four pitches for the Rockies to lose their early lead when Shohei Ohtani smashed a knuckle curve 448 feet at 111 mph to the right field seats at Dodger Stadium. Márquez bounced back by striking out Mookie Betts, bringing his career total to 997. Even when Freddie Freeman homered, it seemed like things would be ok when Teoscar Hernández flied out.
Four hits, one walk and one hit-by-a-pitch later, the Dodgers were up 7-1. The two homers were the first of the season surrendered by Márquez, who now has an 8.27 ERA.
Bullpen steps up
Five relievers chipped in to slow down the Dodgers, striking out nine of them. It started with Angel Chivilli, who relieved Márquez, entered with Ohtani on first and he walked Betts with two outs. Chivilli then got Freeman to ground out to escape the jam and end the first inning. He followed with two uneventful innings, giving up only one hit while striking out four, including Ohtani, in the second and third.
Luis Peralta was next, throwing a scoreless fourth despite a double from Freeman. In the fifth, Max Muncy hit a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an Andy Pages single to make it 8-6. Victor Vodnik replaced Peralta, limiting the damage by striking out Austin Barnes and Ohtani.
Vodnik made it interesting in the sixth when he issued leadoff walks to Betts and Freeman. He then struck out Hernández before being replaced by Scott Alexander, who got Michael Conforto to ground into a double play. Alexander and Tyler Kinley each worked 1 1⁄3 innings, allowing no hits or walks and Kinley struck out one.
Down on strikes again
This was not the MLB debut Braxton Fulford dreamed of. He struck out four times in his first game with the Rockies, going 0-for-5 on the night. At least he was in good company as Ryan McMahon struck out four times, Toglia recorded three strikeouts and Sean Bouchard added two. The Rockies combined to strike out 15 times, including for all three outs in the ninth inning, wasting Bouchard’s single that put the tying run on base.
On the season, the Rockies have struck out 195 times, which is second-worst in MLB behind only Boston. The Dodgers struck out the Rockies 34 times and the Padres recorded 32 strikeouts against the Rockies, who totaled 66 in the six-game road trip.
Up Next
The Rockies will be off on Thursday before returning to Coors Field to host the Nationals in a three-game series starting Friday. Brenton Doyle, who didn’t start any games on the road trip with a sore quad, did pinch-hit on Wednesday and is expected to be back in the lineup on Friday.
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