LOS ANGELES — The list of pitchers who’ve found it tough to win at Coors Field is long.
The list of those who can win at Coors and not elsewhere?
That exclusive club still has at least one member: the Rockies’ Tyler Anderson. The rookie left-hander remained winless on the road but didn’t factor into the decision as the Dodgers clinched their fourth consecutive National League West title with a 4-3 victory Sunday on former Rockie Charlie Culberson’s home run with two outs in the bottom of the 10th
inning.
As the Dodgers mobbed Culberson and celebrated their title in the middle of the diamond, Anderson remained alone in the Rockies’ dugout, sitting on a bench next to the top step with a towel draped around his shoulders.
“I wanted to see how they did it, because everyone on this team believes that’s going to be us next year,” Anderson said. “They worked hard and they earned it.”
The Rockies seemed on their way to avoiding a four-game sweep when rookie David Dahl hit a solo home run with two outs in the top of the ninth off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen to break a 2-2 tie. The Rockies’ Adam Ottavino struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the inning, Howie Kendrick and Justin Turner, looking at called third strikes before falling behind in the count to Corey Seager.
The Dodgers’ rookie then launched a 2-0 pitch over the fence in the right-field corner to force extra innings.
“I told myself before the pitch that you don’t have to be too perfect,” said Ottavino, who was charged with his fifth blown save. “You don’t have to strike every guy out, but you don’t want to walk guys and you don’t want to put guys on base.”
As for Anderson’s road streak?
“It’s unexplainable, as some things are in baseball,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “He’s been throwing well for us and been one of our most consistent starters. The way he’s pitched, he could have three or four more wins than he does.”
Anderson, a former first-round draft pick who was making his 20th career start, is 5-2 with a 3.00 earned-run average at home yet 0-4 on the road.
He pulled off a magic act of sorts Sunday, allowing the Dodgers to reach base before making those baserunners disappear. He allowed leadoff singles followed by doubles in both the second and third innings, yet the Dodgers only scored once on a sacrifice fly by Yasiel Puig. Los Angeles also had two runners in scoring position with one out in the fifth but came up empty.
Culberson got a one-out single in the sixth, but Anderson induced pinch-hitter Rob Segedin to ground into an inning-ending double play.
It appeared Anderson was going to be lifted for a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh inning with a 2-1 lead, as the Rockies had a runner on base and Stephen Cardullo getting ready in the on-deck circle. But the Dodgers pulled off a strike-‘em-out, throw-‘em-out double play with Dustin Garneau at the plate and Christian Adames running for
second to end the inning.
So Anderson trotted back out to the mound for the bottom of the seventh.
“I knew if they didn’t get to my spot (in the batting order) that I’d go back out,” Anderson said.
With one out, Turner singled to left and then Seager lined a triple down the right-field line to tie the score at 2-2 and end Anderson’s afternoon.
Reliever Chris Rusin made sure Anderson wasn’t tagged with a loss getting Puig to strike out on a 3-2 pitch that was low and away and then Adrian Gonzalez to ground out to first.
In 6 1/3 innings, Anderson allowed 10 hits and the two runs, with two bases on balls and one strikeout. He stranded eight runners.
The Rockies scored twice in the third as Adames led off with a single and Garneau lined a run-scoring double down the left-field line. After being bunted to third by Anderson, Garneau scored on a sacrifice fly by Charlie Blackmon.
Quotable
“Vin (Scully) has a lot of pull, I guess,” Weiss said of the Dodgers rallying to win and clinch the title at the final home game for the legendary announcer, who is retiring after this, his 67th season.
Footnotes
Lost in the 14-1 defeat Saturday night was that the Rockies were eliminated from postseason contention. It also clinched their sixth consecutive losing campaign. … They lost the season series to Los Angeles, 7-12. … The Dodgers’ scheduled starter, left-hander Rich Hill, was scratched because of a blister that forced him to leave a perfect game after seven innings on Sept. 11. He was replaced by Brandon McCarthy, who went 5 1/3 innings.
Looking ahead…
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (1-0, 3.48) at Giants LHP Matt Moore (11-12, 4.34), 8:15 p.m., ROOT
Wednesday: Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (11-9, 4.08) at Giants RHP Jeff Samardzija (12-10, 3.83), 8:15 p.m., ROOT
Thursday: Rockies RHP Jon Gray (10-9, 4.45) at Giants RHP Albert Suarez (3-5, 4.29), 8:15 p.m., ROOT
