The Dodgers needed a get-right game, and apparently all they needed to do was come to Coors Field.
After going 5-11 in their last 16 games, being swept by the Red Sox and Cubs, while also dropping series to the Diamondbacks and Brewers, the Dodgers looked their regular selves on Monday, hitting three homers, while Blake Snell held the Rockies to two hits and one run in six innings on the way to a 11-5 blowout.
To summarize the vibe of the night, through eight innings, the Rockies had as many hits —
two — as fielding errors and the best part of the broadcast was the footage from the Savannah Bananas takeover of Coors Field over the weekend.
At least the Rockies tried to come back, putting up a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Good 1, then downhill
It only took nine pitches for Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) to retire the mighty top of the Dodgers lineup — Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages — on three ground balls in the first.
The Dodgers got on the scoreboard in the second and again in the third and a familiar Rockies killer was behind it all: Max Muncy. In the second inning, Muncy drew a walk and came around to score on a double by Mookie Betts. Sugano was able to prevent further damage in the second, but it got worse in the third.
With one out, Ohtani, Freeman and Pages hit back-to-back-to-back singles to put the Dodgers up 2-0. Then Muncy did what he does best – hit homers and drive in runs at Coors Field. His towering shot went 461 feet to the second deck of the right field stands, increasing L.A.’s lead to 5-0.
“I saw [Sugano get] behind in counts, which is abnormal for him, and then missing over the heart of the plate a little much for that lineup. They are not going to bite,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said of Sugano’s performance. “Everybody knows that those guys bring you in the zone. And I think that was the case early on with some offspeed pitches that borderline navigated their way out of the zone, and they didn’t bite. They got in good counts and that’s how they do their damage.”
Sugano left after five innings, giving up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk. He’s now 0-3 against the Dodgers this season in three starts. The good news is that he won’t have to face them again in 2026.
Juan Mejia didn’t fare much better in the sixth when he gave up another homer to Ohtani, an RBI double to Freeman and an RBI single to Pages. Just like that, it was 10-1.
Wasting walks and chances
When a team faces Snell, despite this being only his third start in an injury-riddled season, it’s going to be tough, and you can’t afford to miss your chances. But the Rockies missed a big chance in the third. Adael Amador, Brett Sullivan and Ezequiel Tovar drew three consecutive walks to lead off the inning to bring Jake McCarthy to the plate. Usually a clutch hitter with runners in scoring position, McCarthy was only able to muster a fielder’s choice to score Amador. Jordan Beck flied out to shallow center and Cole Carrigg struck out to end the threat.
“Snell is really good. So he’s going to make an adjustment,” Schaeffer said. “Against a guy like that, you get a shot to have a big inning off of him and then it’s tough to get that shot again. We just didn’t get the job done.”
After three innings, Snell had held the Rockies hitless and surrendered the one run on three walks. The Rockies finally got their first hit in the fourth inning when TJ Rumfield and Connor Norby hit back-to-back singles with one out. The Rockies again weren’t able to capitalize as Amador struck out and Sullivan popped out.
The Rockies had seven total base runners through the first eight innings, but went 0-for-6 with RISP and left four on base. Norby reached once on an error, but it was an uneventful night at the plate for the Rockies vs. Snell and the Dodgers bullpen. That was until the ninth when Edwin Díaz came in.
And now pitching for the Rockies …
TJ Shook, who was just recalled by the Rockies earlier on Monday, pitched must better, only allowing one run on two hits — which were made worse by a fielding error by Cole Carrigg — in two innings.
For the ninth, with the Rockies regular pitching position player Sullivan behind the plate, Troy Johnston entered the game to pitch. The utilityman gave up a hit by a pitch and a walk, but didn’t allow a run.
“Usually that’s Sully, but with Goody [Hunter Goodman] being hurt, we didn’t want to put him in the ball game. I think that would probably be malpractice,” Schaeffer said. “So Troy’s the next man up and I thought he did a really nice job. He got to pitch in the big leagues.”
A rally in the ninth
Not only did Johnston put up a scoreless frame on the mound, but he also hit an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. After Willi Castro led off with a single and Rumfield reached after being hit by a pitch, Johnston came up clutch. Amador followed suit with an RBI single of his own, while Sullivan followed with a single, which set up a sac fly from Tovar. Zac Veen then continued his hot start with the Rockies since being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Aug. 11 with an RBI double.
Unfortunately, Beck then flied out to end the rally and game.
In the ninth, the Rockies tripled their hit count and more than doubled their runs compared to the previous eight innings.
Up next
The Rockies and Dodgers will be back in action on Tuesday night at 6:40 p.m. at Coors Field. Colorado will send RHP Ryan Feltner (5-6, 5.59) to the mound, while LHP Eric Lauer (6-1, 3.48) will start for Los Angeles.
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