They’ve been ensnared by his arching curveball and deft precision for the better part of two decades. The end is finally near, the head-to-head matchups numbered, whether the future Hall of Famer retires after this season or waits another year.

But his latest showing at Coors Field was a reminder that even when he’s imperfect, he can still usually command a game just long enough to lead the Dodgers across the finish line against their lesser division opponent. That’s how it’s been almost his entire 18-year career, and that’s how it was Thursday afternoon in Colorado’s 9-5 loss.

“Obviously, he’s one of the best of all time,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He threw a lot of sliders today. Stayed off our barrel. He knows what he’s doing. We hit a lot of ground balls. He just limited damage. He’s good at that.”

Kershaw gave up three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, earning his 29th career win vs. the Rockies — his most against any opponent — in 52 starts. He has only pitched more games and innings against the Giants.

“It’s a great win today,” Kershaw said. “You can’t take anything for granted in Colorado.”

With a walk and a two-run homer from Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles took a 2-0 lead two batters into the game and never relinquished it. Rockies starter Chase Dollander, in his third start since returning from a mid-season demotion to the minors, struggled opposite Kershaw. He allowed seven runs on nine hits, failing to pitch a scoreless inning and failing to finish the fourth.

“Even in the rough outings, there’s good things that you can take out of it to move forward,” Schaeffer said in defense of the 23-year-old, whose ERA dipped to 6.91. “I mean, not everything he did out there was bad today. … You have to take the good. You have to take the not-so-good.”

Even with the loss, Colorado managed to split the four-game set with the defending World Series champs, who are clawing for first-place status in the National League West. The Rockies (37-91) will depart on a six-game road trip having won seven of their last 10. They’re still five wins away from eluding the dreaded “worst team in modern baseball history” label.

Kershaw, who entered Thursday with a 0.96 ERA in his last five starts against Colorado, recorded the first two outs in the sixth inning with an 8-2 lead before the Rockies applied some pressure. Brenton Doyle’s RBI single convinced Dave Roberts to go to his bullpen, eliciting a standing ovation from the partisan Dodgers crowd as Kershaw, 37, walked to the dugout.

Soon, the Rockies had the potential tying run in the on-deck circle, down 8-3. But Kyle Farmer popped out to center field to strand the bases loaded and end the threat.

“I felt pretty good about (my stuff) today,” Kershaw said. “… I should’ve gotten through six. Just can’t walk that guy with two outs and nobody on. But when you look back at it, hopefully it’s like, six (innings) and two (runs) is what I was going for. I would’ve taken that. So obviously a little frustrating way to end it.”

“He was just getting in good leverage counts against guys,” Doyle said. “Getting ahead early and working off of that.”

Doyle’s impressive afternoon also included a 442-foot blast that reached the left-field concourse — “I didn’t realize how far it went,” he said — plus a run-scoring sacrifice fly and a run-saving catch. The center fielder wrapped up a 7-for-14, seven-RBI series at the plate, epitomizing the overall positive outlook of his team’s recent production.

“We’re starting to play a brand of baseball that we should’ve been playing from the start,” he said. “Post-All-Star break, the games have been way more competitive. Series have been a lot better.”

After powering their way to their first two runs, the Dodgers dinked and dunked Dollander for another pair in the second. Miguel Rojas drove in a run with a beautifully placed bunt single down the first-base line. Then Dollander got within a strike of escaping the inning without further damage, only to plunk Will Smith with the bases loaded.

Los Angeles scored one more in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth — an Andy Pages home run on the first pitch of the inning from Rockies reliever Nick Anderson.

Three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani took the day off after a line drive struck him in the leg Wednesday night during his pitching appearance. And Rockies first basemen Warming Bernabel was a last-minute scratch from the lineup for precautionary reasons, the team said, after he was hit in the face by a throw during pregame infield drills.

Friday’s pitching matchup

Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (4-14, 7.00 ERA) at Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (7-2, 3.02)

4:40 p.m. Friday, PNC Park

TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).

Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM

Trending: After missing time with a blister on his right middle finger, Antonio Senzatela pitched five scoreless innings last Sunday in his return from the injured list — a refreshing performance in a season characterized by crooked numbers. In 14 of his 23 appearances, Senzatela has been responsible for four or more earned runs. In six of his starts, he’s given up at least six. One of those was Aug. 1, when Senzatela dug Colorado a 9-0 hole in the first inning of an eventual 17-16 win for the ages against Pittsburgh. Since that series, the Pirates are 6-10. They remain comfortably in last place in the NL Central despite the Cy Young campaign of Paul Skenes, who had a rare misstep (by his standard) three weeks ago when he allowed four runs at Coors Field. His opportunity for revenge against the Rockies will be Sunday in the series finale.

Pitching probables

Saturday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (3-12, 5.16) at Pirates RHP Mike Burrows (1-4, 4.46), 4:40 p.m.

Sunday: Rockies TBA at Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (7-9, 2.16), 10:05 a.m.

— Bennett Durando, The Denver Post

The veteran left-hander perplexed the Rockies for six innings, leading the Dodgers to a 3-1 victory and tidy finish to their three-game sweep at Coors Field. Los Angeles beat Colorado for the 10th straight time.

Colorado, which managed just five baserunners (two hits, three walks) in the game, has been swept 12 times this season.

Kershaw (4-0, 3.03 ERA) allowed one run on two hits, walked one, and struck out five. The five Ks left him just three shy of 3,000 strikeouts for his career. When the 37-year-old Dodgers icon does get his 3,000th K, he’ll become just the 20th major league pitcher to reach that lofty plateau.

“Kershaw was really good,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said after Kershaw made the 14th quality start of his career at Coors Field, his first since June 27, 2023. “He was throwing in, early in the game, tying up our right-handers with some cut. We chased down (against) him, and then later on, his slider came into play and he kept us on the ground. He did a nice job against us. We didn’t have an answer.”

Kershaw induced Colorado into nine outs via groundballs.

The Rockies slid to 8-32 at home and 18-63 at the midway point of the season. At this pace, they’ll finish 36-126, establishing a dubious record for the most losses in a season during the modern era. The Chicago White Sox lost a record 121 games last season.

“I feel like progress is being made on a consistent basis,” said Schaeffer, who is 11-30 since taking over for Bud Black. “We just got done playing the world champs and we gave them a fight. We didn’t get any wins out of it, no doubt, but we are playing better baseball. I think everybody in that (clubhouse) knows it and feels it. It’s just a matter of keep pushing forward.”

Colorado’s lone run came on Brenton Doyle’s two-out, solo homer off Kershaw in the second. It was Doyle’s sixth home run but his first since May 27. Doyle was out of the lineup Wednesday as he worked on his swing in the batting cage. He made some minor adjustments, but believes that lately, he’s been hitting the ball hard only to have it hit right at defenders.

“You always want the back of your baseball card to look pretty, and hard-hit baseballs don’t show on the card,” said Doyle, who’s batting .195. “But at the end of the day, I have to be happy with hard-hit balls. It’s a very hard game. If I can stay consistently hitting balls 100 mph, I’m pretty confident they will start falling more and more for me.”

Much to the delight of the Dodgers fans, who once again turned Coors into Dodger Stadium East, Shohei Ohtani’s two-out solo home run off Tyler Kinley in the seventh sealed the deal. It was Ohtani’s 28th homer, the most in the National League.

Ohtani is slashing .391/.451/.781 with six home runs, five doubles, one triple and 17 RBIs over 17 career games at Coors.

Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber, making his third start since coming off the injured list with a sore shoulder, pitched five excellent innings. He allowed one run on four hits, walked one, and struck out one. He was lifted after just 77 pitches, but said he was OK with Schaeffer’s decision to pull him.

“I feel like I’m getting stronger every day, but that’s a tough lineup, they grind you down,” Gomber said. “I thought I emptied the tank, right there, in the fifth. It was a little bit hotter day. It was pedal to the metal all day against them — from pitch one. And getting Ohtani there in the fifth (for the final out), I kind of emptied the tank. So I thought that was probably the right move, especially with the middle of their order coming up for the third time.”

L.A.’s only run against Gomber came in the third. Miguel Rojas hit a one-out double to left-center, Ohtani drew a walk, and both baserunners advanced on Gomber’s wild pitch. Mookie Betts’ infield single to first baseman Michael Toglia scored Rojas.

Once Gomber departed, the Dodgers immediately took the lead against Angel Chivilli. Betts led off the sixth with a double, Will Smith walked, and Freddie Freeman singled to right, driving in Betts to give L.A. a 2-1 lead.

The Rockies head to Milwaukee to open a three-game series against the Brewers on Friday.

Friday’s pitching matchup

Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-8, 5.13 ERA) at Brewers LHP Jose Quintana (5-2, 2.98)

6:10 p.m. Friday, American Family Field

TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).

Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM

Trending: Right fielder Tyler Freeman, who’s taken over Colorado’s leadoff spot, is slashing .389/.477/.528 in 23 games in June. He’s among the majors’ leaders this month, ranking second in batting average and on-base percentage, and tied for sixth in stolen bases (six). Freeman’s career-best 12-game hitting streak ended Thursday, but he still drew a walk.

Pitching probables

Saturday: Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (3-10, 6.48) at Brewers RHP Quinn Priester (5-2, 3.68), 2:10 p.m.

Sunday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (3-9, 5.79) at Brewers RHP Chad Patrick (3-7, 3.72), 12:10 p.m.

On June 18, 2014, at Dodger Stadium, Kershaw pitched a no-hitter against Colorado that included 15 strikeouts. He came one play — a throwing error by shortstop Hanley Ramirez in the seventh inning — away from perfection.

“I don’t think I saw that game, but I remember reading about it, and I saw the highlights,” Freeland recalled. “It was an amazing game, from an amazing pitcher.”

Thursday afternoon, the 37-year-old Kershaw is scheduled to start against the Rockies at Coors Field. He’ll take the mound needing eight strikeouts to reach 3,000 career strikeouts, becoming the 20th member of that illustrious club. Lefty Austin Gomber will take the mound for Colorado.

Freeland wasn’t sure he would ever see Kershaw pitch in person again at Coors Field, but Kershaw enters Thursday’s start pitching well with a 3-0 record and a 3.31 ERA over seven starts. Kershaw could pitch again at Coors when the Dodgers return for a four-game set from Aug. 18-21, but there are no guarantees he’ll ever compete again in the hitters’ paradise.

“When I think of ‘Kersh,’ I think of his skill and also his longevity,” said Freeland, Colorado’s 32-year-old lefty. “A lot of people thought his career was over four years ago, but he’s still going. Hats off to him for grinding through a ton of pain, tough conversations, a lot of doubt, and a lot of hope.

“You have to give him all of the credit he deserves. He’s going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and he’s a career Dodger.”

What’s the one pitch that Freeland thinks about when he thinks about Kershaw?

“The one that sticks out, for me, is that ‘Cooperstown Curveball,’ ” Freeland said. “But his cutter/slider that he throws down and in to righties is a special pitch.”

Will Kershaw reach 3,000 K’s on Thursday? His high strikeout game this season is seven, at St. Louis on June 8. The lefty has succeeded at Coors Field but rarely dominated, going 12-8 with a 4.64 ERA over 27 career starts. He’s averaged 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings at Coors.

Kershaw spent the first two months of this season recovering from offseason surgeries to address toe and knee injuries that sidelined him for the Dodgers’ playoff journey last fall that culminated with a World Series title.

The win reduced the NL West-leading Dodgers’ magic number to four to clinch the division. Los Angeles is already assured of a postseason berth.

Ohtani’s 52nd homer and 52nd stolen base allowed him to break the previous mark of 13 games set by Rickey Henderson in 1986 with the New York Yankees.

Teoscar Hernández hit a go-ahead homer leading off the sixth inning that gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead.

The Dodgers tacked on two runs in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Tommy Edman scored on Mookie Betts’ sacrifice fly. Ohtani reached on an infield single to first base and then stole second. He was safe at third on a throwing error by center fielder Sam Hilliard and scored on Hernandez’s infield single.

Ohtani had a go-ahead homer with two outs in the fifth after Andy Pages led off the inning with a solo shot.

Ohtani gave the crowd of 49,073 some thrills after the home fans had to watch long distance Thursday night when he became the first player in major league history with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season at Miami.

The Rockies got home runs by Charlie Blackmon and Hilliard.

Alex Vesia (4-4) got the victory with one inning of relief. Michael Kopech pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Colorado’s Kyle Freeland (5-8) took the loss, giving up four runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out two and walked none.

Ryan Brasier pitched the first inning to open the bullpen game for the Dodgers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: RHP Tyler Kinley went on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation.

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (toe) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session and hopes to face hitters next week. … RHP Anthony Banda (hand) will throw a bullpen this weekend.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Cal Quantrill (8-10, 4.68 ERA) makes his second start Saturday since coming off the IL. He’s 1-5 in his career against LA.

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (1-5, 5.54) is looking for just his second win of the season. He got hit hard by the Rockies on June 18, giving up seven hits, seven runs and two homers.

___

The Rockies own the third overall pick in a draft featuring two intriguing starting pitchers and some tantalizing power hitters at the top of the class. This draft gives the self-described draft-and-develop organization a golden opportunity to select a player who can help lift the franchise out of the cellar and become a star and fan favorite.

General manager Bill Schmidt always plays it close to the vest when discussing whom the Rockies might select, but he’s not being coy when he says, “We are simply looking for the best player.”

“That’s what we always try to do,” the executive said. “I think if you deviate from that and try to find a ‘good fit’ or whatever, it doesn’t work out.”

That is true, but the Rockies ultimately must decide whether to invest in a starting pitcher like Wake Forest right-hander Chase Burns or a slugger like Georgia outfielder/third baseman Charlie Condon.

“We’ll end up weighing the college bats vs. the college pitchers,” Schmidt said.

The Rockies are trending toward their second consecutive 100-loss season and light at the end of the tunnel seems a long way off. But the Rockies, realistic or not, believe they can be a .500 team as soon as next season and a playoff contender by 2026.

But Schmidt said that the timing of when the window to win opens won’t be the determining factor on July 14. In other words, if one player seems more likely to reach the majors quicker than another, that won’t sway the Rockies in a major way.

“You have to think short-term and you have to think long-term,” Schmidt said.

Of course, the Rockies’ selection will depend on who’s on the board.

Cleveland has the first pick, and Cincinnati the second. Cleveland is reportedly mulling over Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, Florida first baseman Jac Caglianone, West Virginia middle infielder JJ Wetherholt and Condon.

If the Guardians choose Bazzana, the Reds will likely choose Condon, meaning that the Rockies could choose Burns. But there is no consensus on who’ll be picked first or second.

“I do think the Rockies are going to keep it simple,” MLB.com draft guru Jim Callis said. “If you are drafting purely out of need, you might get yourself in trouble because you’ll pass over a better player.”

However, Callis acknowledged that Colorado’s difficulty acquiring pitching is a major factor.

“The buzz has been, though it’s cooled down a bit, that there are two really good pitchers in this draft, in Chase Burns and (Arkansas left-hander) Hagen Smith,” Callis said. “Everybody knows that it’s hard to get free agents to come to Colorado because it’s hard to pitch there, period. So the Rockies have to develop their pitching.”

Still, Callis sees the Rockies drafting a slugger. After all, the Rockies entered the weekend ranked 24th in the majors in home runs with 75 and 15th in OPS (.701) despite playing home games at Coors Field, the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the majors.

“I like Burns and Smith as pitchers, but I think it’s pretty realistic that at least one of the top power hitters will be available,” he said. “To me, the two best players in the draft are Condon and Caglianone. I love Travis Bazzana, but if I’m looking for guys who can hit 35-40 homers, it’s Condon and Caglianone. I think they are the two biggest impact players in the draft.

“But as much as I like, say, Burns, if Condon or Caglianone are on the board, the Rockies would be making a mistake by taking a pitcher. They might be passing up a better player.”

Baseball America senior writer and draft expert Carlos Collaz said he’s unsure what the Rockies will do.

“It’s hard to say this year because there are so many names being talked about with the two teams in front of the Rockies,” Collaz said. “I could see scenarios where our No. 1 player on the board, Charlie Condon, is available to Colorado at three.

“But I’ve also heard that the Rockies are linked to pitching, certainly more than any other team at the very top of the draft. That makes sense, given what they did last year, picking right-hander Chase Dollander. So it also wouldn’t surprise me if they are the first team to take Burns or Smith.”

Baseball America ranks Smith as its top pitcher in the draft, but it’s very close.

“They are almost interchangeable, and some scouts I’ve talked to prefer Burns and some prefer Smith,” Collaz said. “With Burns, you get a pitcher with maybe more of a complete, four-pitch mix right now. And certainly, he has more present velocity (at 100 mph).

“But with Hagen Smith, I think you have a delivery that’s a little bit better. And the left-handed factor is an element that a lot of teams prioritize. Both pitchers have excellent sliders.”

For several years, the Rockies limited themselves by going after certain types of pitchers. That’s not the case anymore, and it allows the club more flexibility throughout the draft.

“We’re trying to develop more of a contrast approach than five, 10, 12 years ago in this organization when it was (a lot of) sinker-slider,” farm director Chris Forbes told The Post last year in the “Rockie Way” project.  “We have to recognize who can pitch at the top of the zone and who has to stay at the corners and the bottom, but ultimately, we’re letting these guys be themselves.”

The Rockies have had the No. 3 pick or higher three times before. In each case, Schmidt was the director of scouting. The results have been mixed.

In 2013, Colorado picked right-hander Jon Gray out of Oklahoma. A 100 mph fastball and biting slider had Gray ticketed for stardom. Despite flashes of brilliance, that never happened in Colorado. He finished his solid seven-year career with the Rockies with a 53-49 record, 4.59 ERA, and a reputation for not pitching well in big games. He signed a free-agent deal with the Rangers in 2022 and won a World Series ring last year.

In 2015, Colorado took shortstop Brendan Rodgers with the third overall pick out of Lake Mary High School in Florida. Though Rodgers won a Gold Glove as a second baseman in 2022, multiple injuries have prevented him from becoming the impact player the Rockies thought he would be. Scheduled to become a free agent after next season, the Rockies will listen to trade offers for Rodgers this summer.

The biggest draft bust in franchise history came in 2006 when the Rockies selected right-hander Greg Reynolds out of Stanford with the second overall pick. Stars like Evan Longoria, Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum and Max Scherzer were picked after Reynolds, compounding the failure of Colorado’s pick.

Reynolds’s pro career was plagued by shoulder issues. He pitched for the Rockies at the major league level in 2008 and ’11. He went 2-8 with an ERA of 8.13 in 14 games (13 starts).

Whoever the Rockies select next month, they can’t afford to overthink things. Calis doesn’t think they will.

“They are just going to line it up and take whoever the best guy is. They have to,” he said.

“Now, I could see if they were picking, say, 22nd, then you would have maybe six or seven comparable prospects in mind. Then you might say, ‘Hey, we need pitching, so we’ll take him here.’ But when you have the third overall pick, you just have to take the best player.”

“I like to play, I like to work,” the Rockies shortstop said from the dugout a couple of hours before Thursday’s game against the Dodgers at Coors Field.

For just the second time in 75 games, Tovar was not in the starting lineup.

“Just a traditional day off, day game after a night game,” manager Bud Black explained. “I thought ‘Tovie’ could use a break.”

Tovar appreciated the gesture, but he wanted to be on the diamond, robbing the Dodgers of would-be base hits, driving baseballs into the gap, making fans stand up and take notice.

For Tovar, work and play are synonymous. It’s part of a remarkable balancing act Tovar is pulling off at the tender age of 22.

He and his wife, Laura, have a son, Luciano, who had his first birthday on Tuesday. In March, Tovar signed a seven-year, $63.5 million contract that could keep him in a Rockies uniform through 2030. The deal includes a club option in 2031 that would boost the contract����ap total value to $84 million.

That contract is just another indication Tovar, from Maracay, Venezuela, has become the franchise’s new and future face. He has the intangibles to handle it.

“He’s 22 years old and he acts like he’s 38,” said veteran catcher Elias Diaz, 33, who’s made it his mission to lighten Tovar up. “I find ways to make him laugh. He needs it sometimes.

“But he knows what he wants, and he knows where he’s going. He already knows how to be a professional.”

Added 34-year-old backup catcher Jacob Stallings, “He’s Steady Eddie.”

Tovar’s attitude, work ethic and magical baseball skills could land him a spot in next month’s All-Star Game.

asked the question: If you could build a team around a cornerstone shortstop right now, who would you take? ESPN’s baseball pundits picked Tovar ninth.

To which Black rolled his eyes and said, “I’m not sure they have seen our guy play.”

Still, with Dodgers star Mookie Betts out of the Midsummer Classic after suffering a broken left hand, the door has opened a little wider for Tovar to bust through and make the National League roster.

“He’d better make it, or the system is rigged,” second baseman Brendan Rodgers said.

Tovar entered the Rockies’ weekend series against Washington ranked near the top in several categories among National League shortstops. He was first in doubles (23), second in average (.280) and OPS (.783) and tied for fourth in home runs (11, nine of which came on the road).

Defensively, he’s led all NL shortstops with a .991 fielding percentage (three errors in 340 total chances), 221 assists and 52 double plays. His eight defensive runs saved led all major league shortstops and ranked fourth among all infielders.

Tovar doesn’t like to talk about statistics, preferring to let his baseball passion speak for him.

“I just know there is a kid out there who wants to watch me play,” Tovar said. “Whether I go 0 for 4 or whether I have a great game, I want to leave a good impression. There are kids out there who want to watch me play, and I don’t want to let them down.”

Somewhere, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio is smiling.

“There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first time,” Joltin’ Joe famously said. “I owe him my best.”

DiMaggio made 13 All-Star teams. Tovar is hoping for his first, following in the footsteps of Rockies shortstops Troy Tulowitzki and Trevor Story. But, in a typically balanced response that belies his youth, Tovar said: “I have zero control over that, other than what I do on the field.”

Tovar is popular among his teammates but is not at the center of clubhouse card games and tends to keep a low profile.

“For the most part, he’s pretty serious,” Diaz said. “But he can be funny, too. He likes the guys, they like him, and he loves baseball. But, like I said, he’s pretty serious.”

Tovar counters Diaz, saying, “I guess I’m the same person, regardless of what����ap happening. I joke when I need to joke. Sometimes I just look serious, but I do have fun. I am who I am.”

Tovar flashes his silly side when he’s doing fielding drills with infield/third base coach Warren Schaeffer and first baseman Elehuris Montero. Schaeffer fires baseballs out of a small red machine while the two infielders field grounders from their knees, testing their hand-eye coordination. Tovar and Montero’s friendly competition produces grins, giggles and fist-bumps.

Tovar’s not one for flamboyant bat flips, but earlier this month, when he hit two home runs in a game in St. Louis, he briefly celebrated the moment, holding up two fingers as he rounded the bases after his second blast. After the game, however, Tovar downplayed his power surge.

“I don’t feel like I have that (much) power. The home run, for me, is like an accident,” Tovar told Rockies.TV.

Tovar’s even-tempered persona stems partly from his natural personality and partly from discovering at a young age that being mature and responsible would get him where he wanted to go. He credits his parents for pointing him in the right direction.

His father, Rodney, worked at a motorcycle plant in Venezuela. When Tovar hit the first home run of his career — a solo shot off Clayton Kershaw at Dodger Stadium in the final game of the 2022 season, Tovar’s ninth game in the majors — he made sure he got the ball back so he could give it to his dad.

Tovar’s mother, Geppsy, was a homemaker.

“My dad was always a good example for me; he put food on the table,” Tovar said. “My mom was always around for me when I was a kid.”

Tovar began chasing his baseball dream at age of 12. That’s when he left his hometown and hopped on an airplane for the first time. He flew to Margarita Island to attend the Roberto Vahlis Baseball Academy, one of Venezuela’s premier youth baseball training grounds.

At 13, as political and economic turmoil developed in Venezuela, Tovar flew 1,200 miles from home to live and train at Vahlis’ new academy in the Dominican Republic.

“I couldn’t afford to be a scared little kid,” he said.

The Rockies signed Tovar for $800,000 on Aug. 1, 2017, his 16th birthday. Facing players usually two years older than him, Tovar slashed .262/.369/.354 in 35 games in the Dominican Summer League.

At 17, playing for the short-season low-A Boise (Idaho) Hawks, where the average player is nearly 21, Tovar slashed .249/.304/.313. That summer, Tovar lived with Tracy Poff, a longtime high school teacher in Boise. Poff and her sons, Mason and Landon, were Tovar’s host family.

“He’s quietly confident and he’s charismatic,” said Poff, who’s in Denver this week to see Tovar play. Poff and her two sons had dinner with Tovar on Thursday night.

During his summer in Boise, Tovar bonded with Mason and Landon. But now he has a son of his own.

“It����ap the most beautiful thing that has ever happened in my life,” he said. “It’s not just the responsibility of it, but the motivation and drive that my son gives me. Luciano goes to most games, and that’s part of my motivation. And when I go home, I know he’s waiting for me. He’s changed me for the better.”

Laura and Luciano have given him another reason to find balance.

“Baseball’s a tough game and we all know that we are going to fail,” Tovar said. “I can’t take that failure home with me. I know I have to be the same person. I have to be able to separate that failure at the ballpark from who I am. I have to be the same person when I walk through the door.”

Playing catch-up

Midway through his second full season, Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar is in the hunt for an All-Star Game bid — something neither Trevor Story nor Troy Tulowitzki received until their third and fourth seasons, respectively. Younger than both in his debut season, Tovar is slowly catching up to the production his shortstop predecessors enjoyed in purple pinstripes. Here’s a look at each player’s numbers through their second season*:

*Tovar’s stats entering Friday night | Source:

Kiké Hernández also drove in a run for the Dodgers, who have won four of five in Colorado’s first win at Dodger Stadium since 2022. Shohei Ohtani stole the 100th base of his major league career, becoming the fourth Japanese-born player to reach 100 steals in the majors.

Ezequiel Tovar had three hits for the second straight night for the Rockies, who lost for only the second time in six games.

Yamamoto (6-2) rebounded impressively from since his major league debut, limiting the Rockies to seven hits and a walk. He struck out seven while throwing a season-high 101 pitches and battling out of trouble in his last inning.

“It was good to see him get that last hitter with the tying run at the plate,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I thought the fastball was commanded real well tonight. I thought the split was good at times, and the curveball usage picked up those last couple of innings. It was good to see him get through six. It was a really good deal for him.”

Three Dodgers relievers threw one scoreless inning apiece. Evan Phillips pitched the ninth to earn his ninth save in his first appearance since returning Friday from a hamstring-injury absence of nearly four weeks.

“Not going to lie, it was a very frustrating injury,” Phillips said. “It took a lot of extra effort, but I just tried to do everything to stay in that groove I was in. I was just excited to be out there with the team.”

Cal Quantrill (4-4) gave up four runs on nine hits and two walks while failing to get out of the fifth inning of his first loss since April for the Rockies.

Colorado went ahead in the second when Brendan Rodgers hit a leadoff double and scored on Brenton Doyle’s sacrifice fly, but Teoscar Hernández singled for Los Angeles in the bottom half and then motored around to score when Colorado made two throwing errors while trying to retire him after Gavin Lux’s grounder to first.

Andy Pages singled moments later and scored on Heyward’s double into the right-center gap.

“Not every day are we going to get 10 runs on the board,” Hernández said. “But we’re trying to (capitalize) on every single thing to make us better. We’re going to have ups and downs, but our starting pitching right now is keeping us in the game, giving us the opportunity to score runs.”

Ohtani walked and stole second in the third inning — but Quantrill picked him off second base, which cost the Dodgers a run because Freddie Freeman singled moments later. Roberts said Ohtani and the Dodgers were attempting to take advantage of “a tendency” of Quantrill’s.

“That����ap a calculated risk we took, and I’ve got no problem with it,” Roberts said.

Ohtani and Ichiro Suzuki are the only Japanese-born major leaguers to compile 100 homers and 100 steals.

Pages singled in the fourth and scored on a single by Hernández, who drove in his first run since May 20.

Freeman then tripled to left in the fifth and scored on Smith’s full-count double, chasing Quantrill.

Yamamoto allowed two hits in the sixth, but stranded both runners in scoring position by getting Elehuris Montero to ground out with his final pitch.

“My pitch count was high and I had some runners on base, but I was just focusing on getting through the inning, that����ap all,” Yamamoto said through his interpreter.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland (strained left elbow) and RHP Germán Márquez (Tommy John surgery) both threw pregame bullpen sessions in LA. Freeland is still at least three weeks from returning, while Márquez is targeting early July.

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw threw an inning of live batting practice, facing six hitters. He will throw two innings next week in his comeback from offseason shoulder surgery.

UP NEXT

In the series finale, Gavin Stone (5-2, 3.16 ERA) goes for his fourth victory in five starts Sunday when he takes the mound for the Dodgers against Austin Gomber (1-2, 2.76), who allowed just two earned runs in four starts over 26 2/3 innings in May, but was scratched from his previous scheduled start due to arm soreness.

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Exhibit A: an excruciating 2-1 loss to the Dodgers on Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Reliever Daniel Bard, who’s struggled with walks much of the season, issued a bases-loaded walk to Max Muncy in the eighth inning to force in the go-ahead run.

L.A.’s game-turning rally began when reliever Tommy Doyle issued an ill-advised leadoff walk to pinch-hitter David Peralta and then gave up a one-out single to Mookie Betts.

Manager Bud Black turned to Bard, who promptly walked the dangerous Freddie Freeman to fill the bases. When shortstop Ezequiel Tovar made a sensational, over-the-shoulder catch in shallow left field to rob pinch-hitter Will Smith of a base hit, it looked as if the Rockies would escape. But Bard walked Muncy on five pitches.

Colorado got a terrific start from lefty Ty Blach but fell to 20-40 on the road. The Dodgers, who are threatening to run away with the National League West title, won their fifth consecutive game.

The Dodgers improved to 5-1 against the Rockies this season and 15-9 in their last 24 games. Since 2018, L.A. owns a 63-29 record against Colorado, the most
wins by a National League team against any other team during that span.

“It was a hard-fought game on both sides,” manager Bud Black told reporters in Los Angeles. ” ‘Bardo’ has had a little bit of an issue with the base on balls all year. We haven’t quite got him to the point where he is consistently pounding the strike zone over the course of multiple outings. The strikeout is in there, but the walk has been his nemesis, and it came out tonight, against a guy (Muncy) that walks.”

Bard, who began the season on the injured list as he dealt with anxiety, was excellent early on, posting a 0.79 ERA with 19 walks and 21 strikeouts over his first 22 appearances through June 19. But in 19 appearances since then, he has a 7.00 ERA. Most disconcerting, over his last 18 innings, he’s walked 18 and struck out 18.

Entering the night, it was a foregone conclusion that a left-handed starter would dominate Thursday night’s game. As it turns out, two southpaws put on a show.

The obvious star was Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ future Hall of Famer, who gave up one run on three hits over five innings. Kershaw came off the injured list to make his first start since July 3. He’s been dealing with left shoulder soreness.

Kershaw’s one mistake was leaving a belt-high slider over the plate in the fifth that Elehuris Montero blasted into the left-field seats for a 1-0 Colorado lead.

The less likely ace of the night was Blach, Colorado’s journeyman. He pitched six-plus innings of one-run ball. He allowed just three hits and induced 10 outs via ground balls, including double plays in the first and sixth. His one costly mistake came in the seventh when Muncy led off with a homer to right, lifting an 89.8 mph sinker over the right-field wall to tie the game, 1-1.

“Some of my best games have come against (Kershaw), but unfortunately, we just couldn’t quite pull it off tonight,” Blach told reporters, who added that he still felt strong when Black decided to lift him in the seventh.

Added Black: “Ty is a pitcher’s pitcher and he knows his game. He doesn’t waver from what he does. He’s making pitches and it’s great to see. Ty is seizing this opportunity and he’s keeping us in games and doing his part.”

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Here is a very partial list: Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Justin Verlander, Joey Votto, Clayton Kershaw, Jose Altuve, Paul Goldschmidt, Madison Bumgarner, Manny Machado, Kris Bryant, Aaron Judge, Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts, Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado.

Saturday night at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, Rockies outfield prospect Yanquiel Fernandez suited up for the National League squad. There are no guarantees Fernandez will ever join the aforementioned list, but right now, he just might be the Rockies’ most exciting and dynamic player of the future.

The 20-year-old outfielder, signed as an international free agent out of Cuba in 2019, is turning heads whenever he steps on the field. He’s burst onto the scene like a supernova.

Fernandez began the season at Low-A Fresno and was quickly promoted to High-A Spokane, where he was named Northwest League player of the month for May. The left-handed hitter slashed .385/.419/.726, hit 10 homers and drove in 35 runs.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder with a golden arm needed just 58 games at Spokane to prove he was ready for the fast track. He was promoted to Double-A Hartford on June 20. In his first game with the Yard Goats, he hit a home run, because, well, that’s what Fernandez does.

He’s getting rave reviews from discriminating baseball men.

“Yanquiel is a special talent,” Yard Goats manager Chris Denorfia said. “He can impact the game in so many ways. The power potential is huge. He’s showing a developing eye for the strike zone and he has one of the strongest throwing arms I’ve seen, at this level, on any team.”

In 74 minor league games this season, Fernandez has slashed .304/.355./.588 with 22 homers, 15 doubles and three triples. He has more RBIs (77) than games played.

“It’s unbelievable,” Rockies farm director Chris Forbes said. “It’s been like a video game.”

Playing for the Yard Goats in the tough Eastern League tends to bring players back to earth. You can ask top Rockies prospect Zac Veen about that. And in Fernandez’s first 13 games at Double-A, he came back down to earth, a bit, slashing .244/.352/.578. Still, he slugged five homers and drove in 10 runs.

Jeff Dooley, the voice of the Yard Goats on radio and TV since 2015, and a minor league broadcaster for more than 25 years, doesn’t hold back his excitement for the prospect.

“Yanquiel is a special talent and he’s attracted some well-deserved attention for his monster season in the minors,” Dooley said. “It’s rare to see this kind of start for a 20-year-old kid. Rockies fans should be excited about his future.”

Fernandez is sure to experience growing pains, on and off the field. There are holes in his swing and he tends to be over-aggressive at the plate, which is fine for the low minors but can be exploited as he gets closer to the majors. He’s got raw speed but needs to figure out how to utilize it on the bases.

But the desire is there and Fernandez is displaying an aptitude for the game.

While playing for Spokane, Fernandez often sat on the bench next to Robinson Cancel, soaking up the nuances of the game. Before his first game at Hartford, while shagging balls during batting practice, he experimented with how the ball was bouncing off the walls in right field. He did that on his own accord.

“He’s unbelievably coachable right now,” Forbes said. “His time is coming, but let’s keep checking off the boxes.”

Making predictions about prospects is a tricky proposition, but a 2024 debut for the kid from Cuba is not out of the question.

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1993 — In the first MLB baseball game in Denver, an MLB record 80,227 fans packed into Mile High Stadium to see the Rockies beat the Expos 11-4; Eric Young led off the bottom of the first with a home run.

1995 — The first game at Coors Field lasted 4 hours, 49 minutes and went 14 innings before outfielder Dante Bichette hit a two-run, walk-off home run for an 11-9 comeback win over the Mets.

1997 — The Blake Street Bombers ripped the Reds, 13-2, behind 19 hits, including a homer by Vinny Castilla, a triple by Larry Walker and doubles by Bichette and Andres Galarraga; Reds leadoff hitter Deion Sanders was 0 for 4.

2001 — After signing a massive free-agent deal, pitcher Mike Hampton made his Rockies debut in an 8-0 win over the Cardinals. He tossed a gem, allowing no runs in eight-plus innings.

2005 — Colorado burned Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman with four runs in the bottom of the ninth, all with two outs, to walk off the Padres, 12-10; shortstop Clint Barmes had the game-winning two-run homer.

2006 — In a second straight walk-off win in the home opener, the Rockies beat the Diamondbacks 3-2 in 11 innings after Brad Hawpe’s game-winning RBI drove in Matt Holliday; Jason Jennings threw seven innings of one-run ball.

2012 — In an early omen for what became the worst team in franchise history, finishing with 98 losses, the Rockies made Giants veteran southpaw Barry Zito look young again. The 34-year-old threw a complete game, four-hit shutout in San Francisco’s 7-0 win.

2014 — Charlie Blackmon got his first all-star season off to a scorching start in a 12-2 thrashing of the Diamondbacks. The right fielder was 6 for 6 with five RBIs, four runs scored, three doubles and a homer for 12 total bases.

2016 — The Rockies lost 13-6 to the Padres, but rookie shortstop Trevor Story stole the show. After hitting four home runs across his first three MLB road games, Story launched two homers in the home opener, signaling his arrival as a star in the making.

2017 — Thomas Jefferson product Kyle Freeland made his MLB debut in front of the hometown crowd and lived up to the billing. Freeland allowed one run over six innings in a 2-1 win, outpitching the Dodgers’ Hyun Jin Ryu.

2021 — The Rockies humbled future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, tagging the Dodgers southpaw ace for six runs in less than six innings of work; outfielder Raimel Tapia had two RBIs and chased Kershaw from the game.

2022 — In only the 12th 1-0 game in Denver in franchise history, the Rockies beat the Nationals behind six-plus strong innings from Freeland. Fellow Colorado native Pierce Johnson, a Faith Christian alum, recorded the save.