DENVER — The Dodgers found a silver bullet when they traded cash considerations for former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Eric Lauer on May 17.
The veteran left-hander has only lost once in 12 appearances (11 starts and one six-inning scoreless relief outing) since being traded to the Dodgers on May 17, going 7-1 with four no-decisions, all of them resulting in Dodgers wins.
Lauer lasted five innings in the middle game of a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six en route to a 7-6 victory. The Dodgers have a chance to secure a series sweep on their way out of town on Wednesday night.
“I’ve been paying the guys to score me runs,” Lauer joked, in search of an explanation. “A lot of (credit) goes to the offense, just because it seems like every time I go out there, I get some great run support. It takes a lot of the burden off me, and I’m able to try to command the strike zone the way I do. And if they put the ball in play, I’m very confident in the defense I have behind me. It just makes everything easier when you’re scoring runs.”
As manager Dave Roberts notes, Lauer doesn’t light up the radar gun, but he gives his team a spark.
“He’s tough,” Roberts said. “He competes his tail off. He’s always prepared. He gives you everything he has, regardless of opponent role, extra days rest, and he’s a winner.”
The Dodgers have averaged nine runs a night through the first two games of the series, more than double what they had averaged over the previous 16 games. They continued their offensive onslaught from Monday’s opener, taking the lead in the first inning and never trailing, despite the Rockies twice tying the score and coming within a run of tying again in the ninth.
Shohei Ohtani kept rolling against the Rockies, launching his third home run in two days with a 448-foot, no-doubter into the Dodgers’ bullpen in the third inning. Ohtani’s 30th homer of the season – the sixth consecutive season he has hit at least that many – was his only hit of the game, but he reached base twice more, on a fielder’s choice in the fourth and a fielding error by Rockies rookie Connor Norby in the sixth.
“This series is (Ohtani) back to being who he is,” Roberts said of the National League MVP candidate. “I like the at-bat quality, I like the swing decisions, and obviously he’s hitting homers out with breaking balls, fastballs, curveball tonight. When he goes, it certainly adds a lot of energy to our offense.”
The Dodgers’ offense hasn’t stopped since arriving in Denver, with Tommy Edman, Kyle Tucker, and Teoscar Hernandez offering a lift from the bottom of the lineup, going a collective 5 for 12 with four doubles, a triple, three RBIs and four runs scored.
“It was good to get things going at the bottom of the lineup,” Edman said. “We haven’t really delivered the last couple of weeks, so it’s good to get some production down there.”
Tucker’s hit ended his career-high hitless streak at seven games (although he grounded out once and struck out twice in his other plate appearances). He had gone 26 consecutive at-bats without a hit.
The Rockies threatened in the eighth with reliever Evan Phillips on the mound and the Dodgers leading 7-4. Willi Castro coaxed a leadoff walk followed by a single from TJ Rumfield and an RBI single from pinch-hitter Zac Veen to pull within two.
Phillips retired the next two batters he faced before Manager Dave Roberts called on left-hander Tanner Scott for a four-out save.
Scott finished the eighth and faced another threat when Jake McCarthy doubled into the right field corner with one out in the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate. Scott retired Cole Carrigg in a nine-pitch at-bat then yielded a run-scoring single to Castro, who reached base for the fifth time and brought Colorado within a run.
“The biggest thing is to end the ball game with us winning,” Scott said of the run he allowed. “One run, one out, whatever. Just move on to the next guy.”
Scott induced a pop-up to shortstop Mookie Betts to end the game and earn his team-leading 17th save.
“I just wait for the phone to ring – I don’t care when,” Scott said of his time in the closer’s role. “I get the adrenaline rush when your name’s called and just go out there and pitch.”