Hiroki Kuroda and the Dodgers await the Rockies after a big win and a days' rest
- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
The last time the Rockies won an extra-innings game, Chris Iannetta drove the solo game-winner over the left field wall at Coors.
That was a long three weeks ago, and now the Rocks needed a game-winner on the road at Petco Park.
Enter Ian Stewart, who rocked a 2-0 pitch through the dense San Diego air and into the left field bleachers to lead off the 12th Inning Wednesday night. Manny Corpas drew a groundout, a strikeout & a pop out to hold the lead. The win closed out a 2-1 series clinch for Colorado, as the Rockies prepare to take on the LA Dodgers in the teams’ 2010 inaugural head-to-head.
The Dodgers have struggled all season, falling by increasingly wide margins since a mid-April loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 11 innings. That April 14th game mirrored the Iannetta’s game-winner versus the Mets in the 10th, as LA went to 3-5 and the Rockies moved to 5-3.
Not that Colorado shot out to the division lead.
The Rocks have struggled too, managing to tread water around .500 through will alone. When they’ve needed a W, somebody (usually Ubaldo Jimenez) has provided that winning touch.
Now the Dodgers will try to hold serve after getting blasted by the Brewers 22-9 over the last two games of LA’s 6th straight at home. After a 3-1 series drubbing of the Pirates, the Dodgers will have to trust John Ely and his 7.50 ERA to stem the tide of Milwaukee runs.
The Brew Crew opened up with 4 straight singles in a 4-run 1st in Wednesday’s 11-3 pounding.
That makes Thursday’s match a huge must-win for the Dodgers as the Rockies rest.
Mark my words, if the Rocks smell blood in the water heading into Dodgers Stadium Friday night, they stand a chance of stealing LA’s most winnable game of the 3-game joust.
Game 1 will feature Nippon Pro League veteran Hiroki Kuroda, whose solid 3-1 start has helped keep the Dodgers afloat. Kuroda has spent 2 solid but injury-plagued years in LA after a celebrated career in Japan.
Young Esmil Rogers will take the mound in his second start for the Rockies. Esmil was the only rookie to make Colorado’s Opening Day roster, but dipped to triple-A to make room for reliever Joe Beimel. Injuries pressed him back into MLB action for the first 4 innings of a 6-1 drubbing by Matt Cain and the San Francisco Giants.
Rogers seems destined to be fed to another talented pitcher, but the Rockies’ offense has the punch to go off in any given game. Without the Game 1 win, Los Angeles would be looking at a brutal path towards salvaging their 10-game home stand… through twin terrors Jhoulys Chacin & Ubaldo Jimenez.
Jhoulys & U-bal combined for 21 K’s in their last outings. An ominous sign for LA.
