The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped another extra-inning decision late on Friday night when the Colorado Rockies rallied for a 9-6 win in the 10th inning at Chavez Ravine.
Colorado entered the game with just nine road wins all season (the fewest in all of Major League Baseball), but rallied from 3-0 and 4-1 deficits to tie the game at 5 on an eighth-inning Ryan McMahon single. The Rockies then took the lead with two outs in the top of the ninth on a two-out solo homer by Sam Hilliard.
After the Dodgers rallied with a run to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, the Rockies exploded for three runs in the 10th against reliever Jimmie Sherfy to finally break into double digits in road wins in 2021.
While Sherfy may have taken the loss on Friday night, there has been plenty of blame to spread around when it comes to Los Angeles and the later innings since the All-Star break. After all, Friday marked the third straight night the Dodgers had lost a late-inning lead.
Through seven innings on Friday, the Dodgers held the Rockies to six hits and three runs. In the final three frames against three different relievers, Colorado posted six hits and scored six times.
Here is the stat that tells you everything you need to know about the Los Angeles Dodgers ineffective bullpen.
With the loss on Friday night, Los Angeles is now 1-10 in extra-inning games this season. That includes back-to-back games against the Rockies where Colorado has won in extra frames. For the Dodgers, a team that enters Saturday’s play trailing the San Francisco Giants by three games in the National League West, those late losses loom large.
Kenley Jansen is the poster boy for the recent struggles by the Dodgers bullpen. Before the All-Star break, Jansen was 21-for-23 in save opportunities and had a 1.24 ERA with opponents hitting .129 against him. Since the All-Star Game, however, Jansen has given up nine hits and eight runs in two innings of work. That equates to a 36.00 ERA and 0-for-3 mark in save opportunities. Opponents are hitting .600 against him during that stretch as well.
With the trade deadline on July 30, look for the Dodgers to try to stop the bleeding in late innings by acquiring relievers. If Los Angeles is going to win its ninth consecutive NL West title, it has to shore up its ability to hold down opponents in the late innings.