McCarthy was 0-1 with a 4.61 ERA in four rehab starts – three with Rancho Cucamonga and one with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Advertisement
“This is right where I want to be”, McCarthy said Saturday. 41 … times. There were only two innings in the entire series in which the Rockies did not record a strikeout.
It wasn’t until very recently, however, that he was informed that he will be making his start on Sunday. That was a nice surprise.
McCarthy’s performance came at a critical time for the Dodgers, who have four other starters on the disabled list, including ace Clayton Kershaw.
“He didn’t fatigue at all”, Roberts said. McCarthy combined with four relievers in permitting just four total hits and amassing 15 strikeouts, with Kenley Jansen getting his 24th save.
Corey Seager extended his season-high hitting-streak to 16 games with a single in the first inning. Trayce Thompson and Yasmani Grandal added solo home runs as Los Angeles earned its sixth victory in seven games.
Thompson homered to right-centre off Rockies starter Jon Gray (5-4) to lead off the second inning, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
“He threw a lot of fastballs, I wasn’t trying to do to much, but I got the barrel on it and the ball travels well here during the day”, Thompson said of his home run. Then, in quick succession, Gray hit Howie Kendrick and walked Yasiel Puig, Yasmani Grandal and the pitcher, McCarthy, to give Los Angeles a 2-0 lead. “It seems like we’re getting much better at-bats, the hard hits are going through, we’re executing with two strikes, we’re getting runs with two outs, all that is coming around and we’re coming together at the ideal time”. Grandal tried to score on Turner’s single, but left fielder Brandon Barnes threw Grandal out at the plate.
Sunday looked like it could be a disaster for Gray with a bad second inning.
Then they will have plenty of decisions to make before the end of this season; to get the team back on track. “That’s what he did today”. He struck out four and walked one.
After managing only one run the first two games, the offense was anemic again Sunday, managing only four hits with the one run being a solo home run from Daniel Descalso in the seventh. Descalso pounded an 87 miles per hour slider from right-hander Casey Fien into the first row of the right-field bleachers for his second homer of the season.
Ironically, both Descalso’s home runs this year have come at Dodger stadium in late innings against the Dodgers’ bullpen.
Five fans ran onto the field waving black banners endorsing animal protection in the bottom of the ninth, but security quickly apprehended and ejected them. Story, who leads all rookies with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs, has not made the starting lineup in five of the past six games. Story pinch-hit in the eighth and struck out.
Advertisement
Rockies (37-44): Colorado heads to the bay to take on the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Seager went 1 for 4 and scored twice. He struck out eight including the final three batters he faced before being pulled from the game.
