A rocky start doomed the Colorado Rockies as they dropped the first of a three-game series with the Dodgers, 6-1, on Friday night in Los Angeles. Another Rockies rookie starter allowed the Dodgers to jump out to an early lead, while the bats were stymied again – much like their loss on Thursday to the Diamondbacks. The Rockies have now dropped three games in a row and dropped in to third place in the NL West. The Dodgers have won eight straight.
Kyle Freeland (8-5, 3.70 ERA) surrendered four of his five earned runs over the first two innings, giving Dodgers starter Alex Wood (8-0, 1.86) more than enough to work with. Los Angeles scratched out one run on four hits in the first, then made Freeland pay for a leadoff walk in the second. After Colorado tied things up in the top of the second, Freeland gave up back-to-back-to-back hits with two outs in the bottom half of the inning after issuing a leadoff walk to run LA’s lead out up to three runs. Yasiel Puig homered in the fourth off Freeland, as well. Mike Dunn walked one and struck out two in the seventh. Jordan Lyles allowed a run on a hit and a walk in the eighth.
All three of Colorado’s hits came in the first two innings. Charlie Blackmon hit a leadoff single in the first that led to nothing. Trevor Story had an infield single in the second and Tony Wolters drove in a run with a double. That was all the Rockies offense could muster against Wood, who went six innings, and a trio of Dodgers relievers. Colorado struck out 11 times in the game, including seven against Wood.
Things don’t get any easier for the Rockies on Saturday night when they face Clayton Kershaw (10-2, 2.61). The NL leader in wins was roughed up his last time out, giving up six earned runs including four home runs. He still earned the win, but it was Kershaw’s worst outing of the season. The Rockies will counter with Tyler Chatwood (6-7, 4.08). Chatwood is 4-3 with a 2.41 ERA in road starts this year.
