The week’s heroes: Yelich, Toro and Kurt Suzuki
By Bill Felber
2 Russell Martin, 54 percent
Another week, another stunning Dodger rally.
This one occurred during the seventh inning of Tuesday’s 5-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. The Rocks led 2-0 entering the seventh, but what’s two runs when you are the universe’s best team?
Facing Chi Chi Gonzalez, Cody Bellinger opened the seventh by drawing a base on balls when Gonzalez missed low on a 3-2 pitch. Gonzalez fanned A.J. Pollock, but Matt Beatty rolled a base hit through the middle of the Rockie infield.
That prompted Rockies manager Bud Black to lift Gonzalez – who had allowed just three hits but thrown 101 pitches – in favor of veteran Bryan Shaw. The move looked good when Shaw retired Enrique Hernandez on an atom ball line drive to center. Martin was the next hitter.
The veteran catcher is not having one of his intimidating seasons. Martin, now 36, is batting .218 in backup duty. But he is still occasionally dangerous, as he demonstrated by lifting a belt-high cutter into the seats in left-center for a three-run homer.
That hit turned Colorado’s 2-0 lead into a 3-2 Dodger advantage, which David Freese proceeded to double by backing up Martin’s home run with one of his own. Black called on Carlos Estevez to record the final out, but by then it was too late. As it always it when playing the Dodgers.