Bobby Miller, Freddie Freeman lead Dodgers blowout of Rockies

The Dodgers wasted opportunity after opportunity in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, and they didn’t repeat the same mistake in the nightcap. LA took a commanding lead and never looked back, drubbing the Rockies 11-2 at Coors Field.

Ballpark notwithstanding, the Rockies already don’t have a good pitching staff to begin with. And after holding the Dodgers to one run in the first game of the doubleheader, it wasn’t farfetched to assume or expect a big output from the Dodgers bats in the second game.

Interestingly enough, it was death by a thousand cuts without the usual raking. The Dodgers managed to score five runs in the second inning with no extra-base hits. That output early on was made possible by six singles in the span of seven hitters, with two-thirds of the lineup joining the party.

It wasn’t until the sixth inning that the Dodgers were able to reach their first extra-base hit, as Freddie Freeman rocketed his 27th home run of the year, smashing one into deep right-center for a two-run blast.

He also doubled in the ninth, his 58th of the season leaving him just two shy of 60. Freeman upped his tally of extra-base hits on the year to a whopping 87, adding to his Los Angeles Dodgers record.

Leading big by the bottom of the second, and with a cruising starter on the other side of things, the Dodgers were in complete control for most of this one. The absence of Mookie Betts who got the half-day off, didn’t cause as big of an impact as it could have.

Another Dodger youngster thriving in Coors

Bobby Miller has been superb in his first season in the big leagues, and across his 2023 campaign, he had yet to find himself in the not-so-friendly confines of Coors Field.

After Ryan Pepiot tossed six great innings in his Coors Field debut earlier in the day, Miller came out and also thrived, pitching in ideal circumstances with a big lead.

Miller struck out a career-high nine and walked none, as he allowed only a couple of runs across seven frames, on 91 pitches.

This outing continued a sequence by Miller of starts with at least seven strikeouts to four straight starts, as the right-hander has shown more swing-and-miss to his game in the second half.

The Rockies aren’t certainly the level of adversary Miller will face in the postseason. Nonetheless, any time a pitcher can not only have success but thrive in his first outing at Coors, that’s a big confidence boost heading into the playoffs.

However, this will probably not be Miller’s final outing of the regular season, as the young righty is likely to take the ball for the season finale on Sunday, at San Francisco.

Tuesday particulars

Home run: Freddie Freeman (27)

WP — Bobby Miller (11-4): 7 IP, 6 hits, 2 runs, 9 strikeouts

LP — Ryan Feltner (2-4): 3 IP, 6 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk

Up next

The Dodgers continue at Coors Field for another couple of games to wrap up this season series against the Rockies. On Wednesday night (5:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA), young right-hander Emmet Sheehan will take the ball against fellow rookie Noah Davis.