Posted in

The Max Muncy & Miguel Rojas offense salvages a split from the mighty Rockies – Dodgers Digest

by sports••0
The Max Muncy & Miguel Rojas offense salvages a split from the mighty Rockies – Dodgers Digest

One of my greatest crops.

Coming off back-to-back losses to the Rockies, there were already Dodgers fans dooming about stuff, which is weird since they always seem to lose demoralizing games at Coors Field.

Nevertheless, they bounced back today behind the offensive cogs of Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas, who powered the offense forward. All of that was in support of Justin Wrobleski, who gave up hard contact but managed to avoid damage in a 12-3 victory for the series split.

======

As mentioned, Justin Wrobleski had a rough start, as back-to-back doubles gave the Rockies the lead two batters into the game.

However, after a groundout moved the runner over, back-to-back quality defensive plays from Dalton Rushing and Santiago Espinal prevented further mess and kept things at 1-0 Rockies.

Wrobo continued to give up hard contact in the 2nd, but was able to work around a pair of singles with some luck. He then settled in better with clean frames in both the 3rd and 4th innings.

The 5th was more challenging, as a lead-off double started things, and then a one-out infield single cornered the runners. But Wrobo came back to induce a pair of flyouts that wasn’t able to advance either runner, and that threat was also averted.

He then finished his outing with a clean 6th thanks to Alex Call in right, and then worked around a lead-off and two-out single in the 7th to complete his outing with six shutout.

Wrobo gave the Dodgers the results and length they needed yet again: 7 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 97 Pitches.

——

On the other end, Jose Quintana had an eventful day, even if it wasn’t really a good one.

To start his outing, Shohei Ohtani reached on another error on a grounder to first and he bobbled the ball covering the bag to allow him to reach. A steal followed but the Dodgers weren’t able to make anything of the inning.

The Dodgers did things the easy way in the 2nd, as Max Muncy (7th) and Miguel Rojas (1) went back-to-back to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead just like that.

The 3rd saw more traffic, as Ohtani led off with a single to extend his on-base streak, Alex Call followed with a single of his own, and then Will Smith hit a potential double-play ball to third, but Kyle Karros seemed confused by the spin and let it get past him for an error that scored Ohtani.

That seemed to create a big chance for the offense, but Teoscar Hernandez followed by grounding into a double play, though it scored the runner to make it 4-1 Dodgers.

The 4th was arguably the biggest mess, as Muncy started a rally with a four-pitch walk, and then Rojas and Santiago Espinal followed with singles to load the bases with nobody out. Quintana seemed to lock in, getting Dalton Rushing to pop out, then seemingly getting Shohei to line into an inning-ending double play.

“Seemingly” because before the pitch was thrown, Muncy and the third-base umpire saw Quintana balking, which plated Muncy and made it 5-1.

I get the frustration, but I also get the call, and it was surprising that it was called out so emphatically.

The Dodgers really could’ve used that moment to blow things open, but the balk was the only run they ended up getting from that inning.

After a quiet 5th, the duo of Muncy and Rojas came right back with a pair of singles to start the 6th and knocked Quintana out of the game. He was charged with another run after reliever Tanner Gordon induced a sac bunt, got a strikeout, intentionally walked Ohtani, and then unintentionally walked Call to force a run home. That made it 6-1, but he didn’t allow anything more that inning.

Only that inning, though, as in the 7th he gave up a one-out single and stolen base to Andy Pages, an infield single from Muncy to corner the runners, and then a safety squeeze from Rojas that he kicked for an error to make it 7-1. Still no big blow behind the traffic, however.

Gordon was still in the game in the 8th, and the Dodgers continued to add. It was Rushing again for his sixth homer in just 26 at-bats to start the inning.

Ohtani followed with another walk, got to second on a groundout and third on a two-out wild pitch, then scored on a Teoscar flare single to make it 9-1.

——

To cover the final two innings, the Dodgers started with Edgardo Henriquez in the 8th. He gave up a solo shot to make it 9-2, and also a single, but that was it.

The Dodgers took that personally and came back with Muncy’s second homer and fourth hit of the night to make it double digits.

Then after a one-out single for Espinal, Rushing made it seven dongs in 27 at-bats for a dozen runs at 12-2.

To close the game out was recent call-up Jake Eder, who issued a lead-off walk, gave up a single, then a sac fly to make it 12-2, but stopped the bleeding there.

——

Troy Johnston had a weird moment of trying to get hit, begging for the HBP, getting his review request denied, then striking out looking. Always Wrobo somehow.

1000 hits from Miggy!

======

16-6, still the best record in ball.

The Dodgers will now travel to San Francisco for three against the Giants, starting at 3:45 PM HT/6:45 PM PT/9:45 PM ET with Yoshinobu Yamamoto against Landen Roupp.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *