Shortly before first pitch Friday afternoon, the 120th Fighter Squadron from Buckley Air Force Base screamed over in a stirring display of firepower.
Taking their cue, the visiting Dodgers, launching home runs at a historic pace early this season, drubbed the Rockies, 10-6, spoiling the opening-day party for the 48,404 fans in attendance.
All of the red-white-and-blue bunting, purple jerseys and party energy in LoDo couldn’t lift the Rockies above their early-season problems. Namely, an offense still trying to emerge from hibernation, and the ongoing struggles of left-handed starter , who’s clearly the weak link in the rotation.
Yes, the Rockies’ offense showed signed signs of life late, but it was way too little and way too late in a game that droned on for 3 hours, 52 minutes.
“It’s good that we put up a little fight there at the end, and it’s good that we got the bats going, so it’s good for tomorrow,” said shortstop who hit two late home runs. “But you don’t want to lose like that.”
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A prime example of Colorado’s offensive woes arrived in the fifth inning when it loaded the bases against right-hander Kenta Maeda. Story strode to the plate with a chance to get his team back in the game. Instead, he struck out on three pitches, going down looking as Maeda’s slider caught the black.
To Story’s credit, he rebounded to hit a two-run shot off right-hander Brock Stewart in the Rockies’ three-run seventh. He also blasted a two-out solo home run in the ninth. also added a solo home run in the ninth, a 447-foot shot off Yimi Garcia.
“It was a good to see a couple of good swings and it got a little better as the game progressed,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “We had some opportunities early and we got some walks against Maeda. He was sort of pitching on the fringes. We loaded the bases a couple of times and we just couldn’t break through.”
The Rockies, who fell to 3-5, are hitting .209 and have five home runs this season, three by Story. The Dodgers, winners of six consecutive National League West titles, came into the game having hit 18 home runs. They added three more: A solo shot by Max Muncy off Anderson in the fourth; a back-breaking three-run blast by Cody Bellinger off Anderson in the fifth; and a solo homer by Russell Martin in the sixth off reliever .
Bellinger’s six homers in the Dodgers’ first eight games set a franchise record and his 16 RBIs through eight games is also a franchise record.
Colorado has now dropped six consecutive games to the Dodgers, who have a stranglehold on the National League West with six consecutive titles.
Asked about the Dodgers’ formidable firepower, Story said: “They’re good. Obviously they have won the division the last few years. They have good leadership. But it’s not like we look over there and we’re like, ‘Oh man!’ We’re excited to play the best teams and we feel like we can win against anybody.”
Anderson, whose 30 home runs surrendered last season tied him with Milwaukee’s Chase Anderson for the most in the NL, lasted four-plus innings, giving up six runs on nine hits. He fell to 0-2 and his ERA sits at 11.00.
The fifth inning encapsulated Anderson’s woes. He walked leadoff hitter Kike Hernandez, gave up a single to Corey Seager and an RBI double to Justin Turner. Anderson, clearly going off the rails at that point, got a mound visit from pitching coach Steve Foster. It didn’t help. Bellinger ripped an 0-1, 90 mph fastball over the inside corner deep into the right-field seats to put the Dodgers ahead 6-1.
“They have some guys that are really hot and they stayed hot,” Anderson said. “I think really the one (hit) that turns a day when you’re grinding into a bad day, was that Bellinger homer. That was a pretty good pitch that usually in the past he hasn’t gotten to. But he’s pretty locked in right now so he didn’t miss.”
On Deck
Dodgers RHP Walker Buehler (0-0, 15.00 ERA) vs. Rockies RHP Jon Gray (0-1, 4.05)
6:10 p.m. Saturday at Coors Field
TV: ATT SportsNet Radio: 850 AM/94.1
The last time Buehler faced the Rockies, he mowed them down with six-plus innings of one-hit, shutout ball as the Dodgers clinched the division title in a tiebreaker game at Chavez Ravine. However, the 24-year-old was hit hard in his 2019 debut against Arizona, lasting only three innings while giving up five runs. Colorado is hitting .183 in 109 at-bats against him with four home runs, while Los Angeles is hitting .337 with five homers in 98 at-bats against Gray. Max Muncy and Joc Pederson have both taken Gray deep twice as the right-hander is coming off a decent season debut in which he allowed three runs in six-plus innings against the Marlins.
հԻ徱Բ:Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda has been solid within the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field, where he entered Friday with a 3.19 ERA in eight games (five starts). He continued that reliability at altitude Friday, yielding one run on four hits over five innings.
At issue: Colorado takes on the Dodgers 18 more times this season, and as opening day as well as Los Angeles’ historic early home run pace has demonstrated, slugfests with the boys in blue are certainly not in Colorado’s best tactical interests. The Dodgers won last year’s season series 13-7.
Upcoming pitching matchups
Sunday: Dodgers LHP Julio Urias (0-0, 0.00) at Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (0-1, 9.53), 6:37 p.m., ESPN
Monday: Braves RHP Julio Teheran (0-1, 3.60) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 2.31), 6:40 p.m., ATTRM
Tuesday: Braves TBD at Rockies RHP German Marquez (1-0, 0.69), 6:40 p.m., ATTRM
