The Dodgers scored in four different innings, including a three-run fourth inning and held on to beat the Colorado Rockies 7-6 on Tuesday night at Coors Field in Denver.
Before this series, the Dodgers hadn’t scored at least six runs in consecutive games since June 29-30. That was back when the Dodgers led the majors in runs scored per game, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, wRC+, and several other categories. Since then they’ve been well below average on offense, which is why this series brings a sigh of relief, park factors be damned.
If anything, the offense is exercising muscles that sat dormant for a while.
Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run lead to give the Dodgers a lead in the third inning, continuing a hot streak that included four extra-base hits on the homestand and two home run in Monday’s series opener. Ohtani’s sixth home run in his last 13 games was also his 30th of the season, just the seventh Dodger to hit 30 home runs in at least three consecutive seasons, and the first since Gary Sheffield from 1999-2001.
After two home runs on Monday and Tuesday’s blast, Ohtani since joining the Dodgers in 2024 has nine home runs in 19 games at Coors Field while hitting .407/.478/.840 with 25 runs scored and 23 RBI.
For Ohtani, he’s hit 30 home runs for six years in a row, dating back to 2021, encompassing his final three seasons with the Angels and first three with the Dodgers.
Doubling their pleasure
Kyle Tucker swung through four consecutive changeups and fouled off another to start his night. Ryan Feltner threw a sixth changeup, and this time Tucker lined a ball just inside the first base line in the fourth inning, the second of three consecutive doubles by the Dodgers to open the three-run frame. The double for Tucker snapped an 0-for-26 skid that dated back to August 9.
The other doubles in the fourth inning were by Tommy Edman, who also doubled in the fifth, and by Teoscar Hernández, who later tripled and scored in the sixth.
The Dodgers had six extra-base hits on Tuesday after seven on Monday, their first time with consecutive games of at least six extra-base hits since April 15-17, which included a home game against the New York Mets and another game at Coors Field.
Freeman’s legs
Freddie Freeman singled in the first inning, and was running on a full count when Andy Pages singled to left field, and Freeman was able to get to third easily. Freeman tagged up on a foul pop to third baseman Willi Castro well down the left field line, and scored the game’s first run easily after Castro made an overhead catch. Freeman also walked and stole second with one out in the third inning, taking third on an errant throw by catcher Braxton Fulford.
In the sixth inning, Freeman lofted a two-out single into left field for another run, and his second straight multi-hit affair.
Call to arms
Eric Lauer gave up a run in the first inning and two in the third, both times matching what the Dodgers scored in the top of the frame. Lauer kept the third lead provided in the top of the fourth inning, allowing only a solo home run to Willi Castro in the fifth before his night was finished. Lauer didn’t go six innings this time but did strike out six batters in his five frames.
Jack Dreyer and Edgardo Henriquez held serve with scoreless frames of relief, but Evan Phillips — working for a second straight night — allowed the first three to reach in the eighth inning, bringing home one run and leaving with two outs and the tying runs on base.
Tanner Scott entered as the fireman and induced a groundout to extinguish the rally, then allowed a double and single in ninth, cutting the lead to a single run. Scott stranded the tying run on base by getting TJ Rumfield to pop out to shortstop, finishing out the game.
Tuesday was Scott’s fifth appearance and third save longer than an inning this season.
Catch and release
Hunter Feduccia caught all nine innings on Monday and caught the first six and a third innings on Tuesday. But after a strike out to open the seventh inning, Feduccia appeared to throw up behind home plate and walked off the field into the clubhouse. There was a long delay before Ben Rortvedt put his gear on and relieved Feduccia behind the plate to finish out the inning and the game.
Tuesday particulars
Home runs: Shohei Ohtani (30); Willi Castro (14)
WP — Eric Lauer (7-1): 5 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
LP — Ryan Feltner (5-7): 5+ IP, 8 hits, 7 runs, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts
Sv — Tanner Scott (17): 1 1/3 IP, 2 hits, 1 run
Up next
The Dodgers go for their second sweep of a last-place team in the last two weeks on Wednesday night (5:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA), with Roki Sasaki on the mound against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland.