In a 9-6 loss Sunday at Coors Discipline, the two-time defending World Collection champs misplaced their second consecutive recreation to their plucky hosts. The Dodgers once more couldn’t maintain a lead or sustain offensively on the hitter-friendly park, although they put some stress on within the ninth inning.
After Shohei Ohtani led off the ninth with a ground-rule double, the Dodgers scored twice to chop the result in three runs. That they had runners on second and third and Ryan Ward on the plate with two out in his first recreation within the majors. However proper fielder Troy Johnston robbed Ward of his likelihood to chip away on the deficit additional, diving to catch his line drive to finish the sport.
Earlier than that, the Rockies chased starter Roki Sasaki from the sport within the fifth inning after which ruffled the Dodgers’ relievers. That included nearer Edwin Diaz, who got here on within the eighth inning to pitch for the primary time in 9 days and promptly gave up three singles, a stroll and two runs.
(David Zalubowski / Related Press)
He and Blake Treinen mixed to face eight batters with out getting an out.
Now, after arriving in Denver with out having misplaced a recreation to a Nationwide League opponent, the Dodgers (15-6) are at risk of dropping their four-game sequence towards an NL membership that’s 9-13 and hasn’t made the postseason since 2018.
It’s nicely beneath the bar the Dodgers have set, and it added a bitter observe to Ward’s in any other case candy large league debut.
Ward punched a giant league clock for the primary time sporting No. 67 and cranked his first big-league hit off Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen within the fourth inning.
Ward lined a changeup to proper area for a single that scored Andy Pages, made it 3-0, and acquired the 20-some members of Ward’s get together up, leaping in place, hugging and high-fiving.
He additionally singled within the sixth, sending Antonio Senzatela’s 96-mph sinker into heart area. That superior Alex Name, who scored to make it 4-3 after Kim’s fielder’s alternative and one other RBI single by Alex Freeland.
In his first at-bat, Ward flew out to steer off the third inning, when the Dodgers gave Sasaki a 2-0 result in work with. Freeland drove in Hyeseong Kim and Ohtani doubled in Freeland — whereas extending his career-best on-base streak to 51 video games, transferring previous Willie Keeler into third place in Dodgers’ historical past.
However to start out the fifth, Sasaki fell behind to Kyle Karros, who hit a 96-mph fastball 448 toes for his first dwelling run this season, reducing the Dodgers’ result in 3-2. The Rockies tied it two batters in a while Edouard Julien’s RBI double.
After that, Sasaki lasted solely three extra batters, together with strolling Tyler Freeman to place runners on first and second base with two out earlier than reliever Alex Vesia got here in and acquired TJ Rumfield to line out to second base to protect the tie in the interim.
Sasaki went 4.2 innings, threw 78 pitches and gave up seven hits, three runs, putting out and strolling two. His ERA after his fourth begin: 6.11, worst within the Dodgers’ present six-man rotation.
The Dodgers fell behind 6-5 within the seventh when Treinen — who was cleared Friday after he was struck within the head by a batted ball throughout batting observe — gave up 4 consecutive hits with out getting an out, together with a two-run dwelling run to Mickey Moniak.
After Diaz’s disastrous eighth, the Dodgers trailed 9-4 going into their last at-bat.
Nonetheless, the outcome might be a minor element when Ward tells the story about getting the decision after Freddie Freeman was positioned on the paternity checklist, the chance of a lifetime.
Identical to Miguel Rojas, the Dodgers’ veteran infielder has a vivid recollection of his main league debut at Coors on June 6, 2014: He remembers making an error at shortstop. That the entire thing was wildly nerve-racking. And great.
“You’re feeling actually good about being within the large leagues and getting your first shot of undertaking your dream, what you’ve been working in your complete life,” mentioned Rojas, standing in the identical guests clubhouse he entered earlier than making his debut, attempting to not be starstruck when he noticed his new teammates Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw on the brink of play.
“However then you must cope with the feelings of being on the massive league roster for the aspect of the Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s what I keep in mind essentially the most, the blended feeling of feelings.”
So the Dodgers’ task, Rojas mentioned, was to make the primary baseman Ward “really feel as snug as he may be.”
Then Rojas headed out to take grounders and provides pointers at first base alongside Ward, who acquired the beginning there as a substitute of his pal Dalton Speeding. The recent-hitting backup catcher may need performed first base if supervisor Dave Roberts hadn’t determined Ward deserved the chance — with Speeding’s enthusiastic blessing.
The Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect and reigning Pacific Coast League MVP has spent the final seven years within the minors. Final season, he hit 36 dwelling runs and drove in 122 runs with a .937 OPS for triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis, and he has a 1.020 OPS and 4 homers to date this yr.
Ward made it a degree to enhance his chase charge, draw extra walks, get on base extra ceaselessly, the whole lot the Dodgers requested of him. He additionally handed the broadest endurance take a look at.
“The plate self-discipline, being a greater hitter … he’s completed all that,” Roberts mentioned. “He’s improved his protection. However actually, for me, simply to not let his lack of alternative within the large leagues deter him. That’s straightforward while you get pissed off and let it have an effect on efficiency, and he hasn’t completed that.”
If something, Ward mentioned, the ready made him higher.
“Truthfully, I used it to maintain going. ‘Okay, if I’m not there but, what do I’ve to do to get there?’” he mentioned. “‘What a part of my recreation do I must work on to maintain getting higher?’
“I used it as fireplace to maintain working.”
That would be the Dodgers’ task too.
Within the finale of the four-game sequence Monday, the Dodgers are anticipated to start out left-hander Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) towards Colorado left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63).
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