LA ends key 18-game stretch with win over Rox

DENVER -- Eighteen days. Eighteen games.

The Dodgers beat the Rockies, 10-5, on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field to end a stretch of their schedule that permitted no days off beginning on June 13. Joc Pederson collected three hits and drove in three runs, including a go-ahead, two-run single during a six-run sixth inning. Matt Beaty (two doubles) and Cody Bellinger each drove in a pair of runs.

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After a tough loss to the Cubs at Dodger Stadium on the third day of this long stretch, followed by three straight history-making walk-off victories there a few days later and an even wilder-than-usual series at Coors Field, Los Angeles came away with a 12-6 record over that span.

It speaks not only to the talent on the Dodgers' roster, but to memories of two Octobers past that are never far from their minds.

“I’m tired of losing the World Series,” said closer Kenley Jansen as he packed for the club’s trip home to enjoy its first off-day in nearly three weeks. “It sticks with me.”

So, consider the Dodgers’ dozen victories over the past 18 days a reminder that this club has a singular definition of success in 2019, and nothing short of it: the franchise’s first World Series championship in 31 years.

Not a two-run, ninth-inning, go-ahead homer by the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo off Jansen on June 15, nor a series in sweltering Denver that inflated the ERAs of first-time All-Stars Hyun-Jin Ryu and Walker Buehler were going to derail the Dodgers, even for a few games.

Los Angeles continued to push forward, and here are three things we learned:

A Taylor-made replacement

When Corey Seager was sidelined with a left hamstring injury on June 12, manager Dave Roberts inserted Chris Taylor at shortstop. At that point, Taylor was hitting .218/.283/.391 with five home runs in 64 games.

But Taylor got hot at the right time. Since replacing the injured Seager, Taylor is hitting .407 (24-for-59) with nine doubles and three homers, including a double in Sunday's victory.

While Seager will likely head out on a Minor League rehab assignment prior to the All-Star break, Taylor has done more than enough to ease any anxiousness in the starting shortstop’s absence.

“You never count Chris Taylor out,” Roberts said. “For him to fill in like that, he’s a big part of what we do, and he gives a lot of other guys opportunities to do things because of what he can do on a baseball field.”

The lights aren’t too bright for these kids

The Dodgers made history in their sweep of the Rockies at Dodger Stadium from June 21-23, winning on three straight walk-off home runs, each by a different rookie. Matt Beaty, Alex Verdugo and Will Smith demonstrated their composure under pressure to set a record that may never be broken.

“When you have a great core,” Roberts said, “and I think a good model that I recall is the [1990s] Braves, when you’re bringing up different guys, whether it’s Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, different guys that can be ready and they don’t have to be the guy, but be a nice supporting piece, it’s a good runway for young players.”

Roberts also acknowledged that when you can count on young players coming up through the farm system in key situations like those during the sweep of Colorado, it’s very different from, say, acquiring a veteran position player who is used to starting but is suddenly behind someone else on the depth chart.

“When you have younger players,” he said, “they’re just so excited to be big leaguers that they’ll be ready for anything. And I think, at times, when you don’t get the right veteran player, it’s just not as easy. The dynamic that we have, for me, is very unique and special.”

Kenley’s coming along

When Jansen gave up the homer to Rizzo on June 15, it brought an abrupt end to a 10-outing scoreless streak that began the week after he had given up another big home run -- Hunter Renfroe’s walk-off grand slam in San Diego on May 5.

But since then, while not all the way back to his usual dominant self, Jansen has posted a 1.50 ERA with three saves over six outings.

“He’s found his mechanics,” Roberts said. “He’s in a good place right now.”

Jansen learned Sunday that he was not selected as an All-Star for the fourth straight year, but he saw that coming.

“What can I say?” Jansen said. “There will be plenty of more chances. I knew it was going to be hard once I gave up that four-spot in San Diego.”

Jansen then added an element to his response that reinforces the tunnel vision this team has, even in a long 18-game stretch against the likes of the Cubs, D-backs and Rockies.

“Yes, you think you should be [an All-Star],” Jansen said. “But just worry about winning a championship. That’s all it is.”