LA Dodgers 5
Colorado 3
Saturday, September 30, 2017 08:10 PM
(ET)
Rockies clinch wild card before falling to Dodgers
The Sports Xchange
Sep 30, 2017
DENVER -- Their celebration began in the clubhouse before the Colorado Rockies took the field Saturday night and lost 5-3 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Rockies erupted with joy at 5:28 p.m. local time after watching former Colorado starter and now St. Louis Cardinals closer Juan Nicasio strike out Milwaukee's Brett Phillips with the tying run on second base to seal a 7-6 comeback win over the Brewers.
The loss assured the Rockies of the second National League wild card and a berth in the postseason for the first time since 2009 and the fourth time in the 25-year history of the franchise.
What followed was a rather anti-climactic game of no consequence in the standings. That's because the Dodgers were assured of home-field advantage throughout the postseason when the Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians lost Saturday before Los Angeles won.
Tyler Chatwood (8-15) took over for Colorado starter German Marquez in the seventh inning and hit the first two batters he faced with pitches. A groundout moved the runners into scoring position for Chris Taylor, whose grounder to second gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead.
Marquez allowed three runs, six hits and one walk in six innings with two strikeouts.
The Dodgers scored a run in the ninth to make it 5-3 on a double by Chase Utley off closer Greg Holland. Yasiel Puig, who singled, dashed home from first and scored his fourth run.
The winning pitcher was Brandon Morrow (6-0), the third of seven Dodgers pitchers. Closer Kenley Jansen, pitching on his 30th birthday, got the final four outs for his 41st save in 42 opportunities.
Jansen gave up a leadoff single to Tony Wolters in the ninth and then threw a wild pitch in the process of striking out Gerardo Parra. Pat Valaika grounded out and Raimel Tapia hit a broken-bat pop fly to end the game.
The win was the 103rd of the season, enabling the Dodgers to set a record for the Los Angeles era of the franchise.
NOTES: A threat of rain delayed the start of the game by 21 minutes. ... Dodgers RHP Yu Darvish threw 40 pitches off the mound at Coors Field, where he has never pitched, to get a feel for where he might start the third game of the Division Series. ... Dodgers CF Chris Taylor was back in the lineup after leaving Wednesday's game with a left knee contusion and not playing Friday. ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon's two hits raised his major-league leading total to 212, the fourth most in franchise history. ... The announced crowd of 48,103 was the Rockies' 14th sellout of the season. ... Rockies RHP Adam Ottavino made his first appearance since Sept. 23 and struck out the side in the eighth inning.
Sep 30, 2017
DENVER -- Their celebration began in the clubhouse before the Colorado Rockies took the field Saturday night and lost 5-3 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Rockies erupted with joy at 5:28 p.m. local time after watching former Colorado starter and now St. Louis Cardinals closer Juan Nicasio strike out Milwaukee's Brett Phillips with the tying run on second base to seal a 7-6 comeback win over the Brewers.
The loss assured the Rockies of the second National League wild card and a berth in the postseason for the first time since 2009 and the fourth time in the 25-year history of the franchise.
What followed was a rather anti-climactic game of no consequence in the standings. That's because the Dodgers were assured of home-field advantage throughout the postseason when the Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians lost Saturday before Los Angeles won.
Tyler Chatwood (8-15) took over for Colorado starter German Marquez in the seventh inning and hit the first two batters he faced with pitches. A groundout moved the runners into scoring position for Chris Taylor, whose grounder to second gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead.
Marquez allowed three runs, six hits and one walk in six innings with two strikeouts.
The Dodgers scored a run in the ninth to make it 5-3 on a double by Chase Utley off closer Greg Holland. Yasiel Puig, who singled, dashed home from first and scored his fourth run.
The winning pitcher was Brandon Morrow (6-0), the third of seven Dodgers pitchers. Closer Kenley Jansen, pitching on his 30th birthday, got the final four outs for his 41st save in 42 opportunities.
Jansen gave up a leadoff single to Tony Wolters in the ninth and then threw a wild pitch in the process of striking out Gerardo Parra. Pat Valaika grounded out and Raimel Tapia hit a broken-bat pop fly to end the game.
The win was the 103rd of the season, enabling the Dodgers to set a record for the Los Angeles era of the franchise.
NOTES: A threat of rain delayed the start of the game by 21 minutes. ... Dodgers RHP Yu Darvish threw 40 pitches off the mound at Coors Field, where he has never pitched, to get a feel for where he might start the third game of the Division Series. ... Dodgers CF Chris Taylor was back in the lineup after leaving Wednesday's game with a left knee contusion and not playing Friday. ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon's two hits raised his major-league leading total to 212, the fourth most in franchise history. ... The announced crowd of 48,103 was the Rockies' 14th sellout of the season. ... Rockies RHP Adam Ottavino made his first appearance since Sept. 23 and struck out the side in the eighth inning.
