DENVER – The Los Angeles Dodgers have been playing at Coors Field long enough to know that no lead is safe.
Not their early six-run lead or Colorado’s three-run advantage in the ninth. This place is simply wacky like that.
Chase Utley drove in the go-ahead run with a double in Los Angeles’ five-run ninth and the Dodgers overcame a crucial error by Yasiel Puig to beat the Colorado Rockies 12-10 on Sunday.
Trailing 10-7 in the ninth, the Dodgers lit up Rockies closer Jake McGee (0-1), with Trayce Thompson scoring the tying run on a wild pitch. Utley followed with an RBI double. All this after the Dodgers squandered 7-1 lead after three innings.
“The game is never over, especially at this stadium,” Utley said. “It’s tough to pitch here, obviously it’s a great place to hit.”
Joe Blanton (2-1) earned the win by getting two outs in the eighth. Kenley Jansen struck out Trevor Story to pick up his ninth save and end yet another crazy game at Coors Field.
“For a second, we thought we got them,” Carlos Gonzalez said. “Tough loss.”
Puig’s fielding error on a single by Gonzalez brought in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. Gonzalez’s RBI single tied the game, but as Puig reached down, the ball scooted past the right fielder. Gerardo Parra later added a two-run single as part of a five-run frame.
But the Rockies couldn’t hold on in a ninth that saw Gonzalez catch a foul ball while tumbling into the stands, only to have the catch overturned after a review. Later, DJ LeMahieu was taken out at second base on what could’ve been a game-ending double play and manager Walt Weiss came out to argue under the “Chase Utley Rule” – but the play stood.
“I thought it was borderline enough to have a conversation about it,” Weiss explained.
This was a rough day for Colorado starter Jordan Lyles (2 2-3 innings and seven runs, five earned) along with McGee, who allowed five runs while only getting two outs. Asked how he puts this behind him, McGee responded: “Amnesia.”
Puig had a two-run double in the second, Joc Pederson added a solo homer in the third and Corey Seager finished with three RBIs as the Dodgers took two of three in the series.
It was quite an adventurous weekend for Puig, who made a leaping catch Sunday as he crashed into the right-field wall in the fourth inning. His catch was buzzing on Twitter moments after it happened.
“The wall always stops me,” Puig jokingly said.
Puig also turned in an amazing throw from the warning track to nail a runner at third on Friday. Then, after Saturday’s game, he traded in his cleats for dancing shoes so he could attend a local prom. He was the guest of a family friend and made it to Sports Authority Field at Mile High in time to pose for photos with students.
And then he had the costly error Sunday.
“First, I stole some runs. Then I allowed two with that error,” Puig said.
