Dozier, Machado start unreal double play

DENVER -- When the Dodgers traded for shortstop Manny Machado and second baseman Brian Dozier in July, they were looking for more than just the bats that the two brought to the club.
In the bottom of the third inning at Coors Field on Saturday night, the new duo in the Dodgers' infield turned a highlight-reel double play against the Rockies. After starting pitcher Walker Buehler walked Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu grounded a hard-hit ball to Dozier. Dozier dove for it -- fully extended -- and flipped the ball with his glove to Machado at second base.
Machado fired it to Max Muncy at first and ended the inning with the Dodgers' 2-0 lead intact.
"That's why you trade for players like that," Buehler said. "We gave up a lot of great players for those two guys, and both of them have come in and been phenomenal."
Dozier made an eerily similar play in the ninth to prevent a run before Ryan McMahon hit a walk-off three-run homer for a 3-2 Rockies win.

Dozier's save in the third was one of three double plays that the Dodgers turned to back up Buehler's seven scoreless innings. In the fourth, Yasiel Puig tracked down a fly ball in right field and launched it to first to get Gerardo Parra tagging. And in the sixth, Trevor Story grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

"What they're doing up the middle is different," Buehler said. "They did it in the ninth, too. It's been unbelievable."