The Dodgers will have to wait until at least Tuesday to have a chance to clinch their eighth straight National League West Division title after Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
Antonio Senzatela pitched into the seventh inning for the Rockies after tossing a complete game his last time out. Colorado’s starter allowed one run in 6 ⅓ innings to help the Rockies avoid getting swept in the four-game series. Senzatela improved to 5-2 with his outstanding outing. Josh Fuentes took care of things at the plate for Colorado by driving in three runs.
No lead is really ever safe in the high altitude of Coors Field in Denver. Although they trailed 6-1 in the eighth inning, the Dodgers had a chance with the bases loaded and reigning National League MVP Cody Bellinger at the plate. But Colorado reliever Daniel Bard struck out Bellinger to end what would be the Dodgers’ last big threat.
L.A. scored its final two runs in the ninth on a two-out single by A.J. Pollock.
The Dodgers can wrap up the division with a win over Oakland at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night and a San Diego Padres loss.
In Anaheim on Sunday, Kyle Cody earned his first major league win and the Texas Rangers belted five home runs in a 7-2 victory over the Angels. Joey Gallo, Anderson Tejada, Sam Huff, Rougned Odor and Derek Dietrich all went deep for Texas.
Cody allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts and one walk in five innings. He retired the final 11 batters he faced. Angels starter Julio Teheran failed to make it out of the second inning for the second straight time.
In other Major League Baseball news, former UCSB ace Dillon Tate pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the Baltimore Orioles in their 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Tate struck out two and allowed one hit. He lowered his earned run average to 3.24.
