First baseman Troy Johnston got the big hits, but it was the Rockies’ resplendent relievers who deserved to take a bow on Saturday night at Coors Field.
In a heart-in-your-throat, 4-3 victory over the Dodgers, Colorado relievers Brennan Bernardino, Jaden Hill, and Victor Vodnik combined to pitch 3 1/3 scoreless innings.
Vodnik pitched the ninth for his third save, but it didn’t come easily. Will Smith delivered a pinch-hit single for the Dodgers, and Shohei Ohtani singled to right, extending his on-base streak to 50 games. But Vodnik induced Kyle Tucker to pop out to left field, clinching the victory.
“Just attack and get ahead,” Vodnik said about facing Ohtani with the game on the line.
Before the four-game series with the Dodgers, Vodnik expressed his admiration for Ohtani, but also expressed belief in himself.
“Thatap going to be awesome to tell (my three daughters)I faced Shohei Ohtani,” he told The Post. “But for me, hopefully, he says, ‘I got to face Victor Vodnik.’ ”
The hard-throwing right-hander — who was unaware that Ohtani “Wee” Willie Keeler for the third-longest on-base streak in Dodgers franchise history (since 1900) — said he was not flustered when Ohtani hit his two-out single in the ninth.
“You just let it go, right away, and then you go after the next guy,” said Vodnik, who has not allowed an earned run over seven appearances (eight innings) in April, while going three-for-three on save opportunities.
Saturday marked the fourth time in the last five games that Colorado’s bullpen has not allowed a run, and its 0.68 ERA over that span has lowered the ‘pen’s overall ERA to 2.97.
“We’re nasty, man, the bullpen is nasty,” Vodnik said. “Everybody trusts everybody … and they pick each other up. And everybody throws friggin’ hard. And everybody gives different looks, so it makes it hard (on opponents), for sure.”
There was plenty of drama for an announced sellout crowd of 47,925, many of whom donned Dodger blue. Los Angeles loaded the bases in the eighth when Ohtani reached on catcher’s interference (Hunter Goodman was charged with an error), Tucker singled, and Teoscar Hernandez reached on a two-out walk by Hill. But Hill got the dangerous Max Muncy to tap a groundout to second base.
Crisis averted, high-fives in the dugout for Hill.
The Rockies took a 4-3 lead with a two-run sixth inning, finally coming through with the clutch hits that have eluded them so often. Goodman led off with a double, Ezequiel Tovar singled off the leg of reliever Will Klein, and Johnston drove them both in with a double to right-center.
Right-hander Ryan Feltner shook off a shaky beginning to give the Rockies what they needed: toughness and some needed length from a starter. Feltner pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, including two solo homers. Feltner struck out five and walked only one.
“Earlier in my career, here, I would have pressed and tried to do something different,” Feltner said. “But just knowing that stuff happens here, you have to know that just keeping our offense in it is really important. That was my main goal.”
For the historic record: Ohtani, the Dodgers superstar, went 0 for 3 vs. Feltner and is now 1 for 10 in his career vs. the right-hander.
Third baseman Kyle Karros rescued Feltner with a sensational play in the sixth. After Freddie Freeman scorched a two-out triple to left-center, Karros robbed Hernandez of extra bases with a diving stop and a perfect throw to first for the out. Hill then entered the game and fanned Muncy for the third out.
“Karros made a huge play — a game-saver,” manager Warren Schaeffer said.
Added Karros: “I was just reacting to the ball. It took me down the line, and I checked whether Freddie was running. He wasn’t, so I threw across the diamond.”
The Rockies got off to an inauspicious start. On the first pitch of the game, Ohtani hit a high chopper to Johnston behind first base. Johnston threw wildly to Feltner, running to cover the bag. Feltner appeared to tweak his back on the play but stayed in the game. He said after the game that his back was fine.
On the next pitch, Tucker ambushed Feltner’s 94.6 mph fastball, sending it over the right-center field wall for a 435-foot, two-run homer.
But Colorado shook off the punch. In the bottom of the frame, a double by Mickey Moniak, followed by an RBI single by rookie TJ Rumfield cut Los Angeles’ lead to 2-1.
L.A. extended its lead to 3-1 in the second on a Dalton Rushing homer off Feltner that barely crept into the right-field seats. The Rockies responded in their at-bat, combining a leadoff single and stolen base by Johnston with a sacrifice fly by Karros to slice the lead to 3-2.
Pitching probables
Sunday: Dodgers RHP Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.63 ERA) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 8.10), 1:10 p.m.
Monday: Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) at Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63), 6:40 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM
