1st to 30 wins, LA ties its best 40-game start
Dodgers swat 5 homers, come from behind to beat Rockies
The relentless Dodgers marked the two-thirds point of the season Friday night by launching five home runs in a 10-6 comeback win over their favorite opponent, the Rockies, at Dodger Stadium. The first team in MLB to reach 30 wins, Los Angeles matched its best 40-game start in franchise history while extending its win streak to six.
Home runs by AJ Pollock, Joc Pederson and Mookie Betts in a five-run eighth inning turned the game around after the Dodgers had fallen behind in the top of the frame on a Kevin Pillar grand slam. Will Smith homered in a three-run seventh and Max Muncy slugged a solo shot in the first.
“Just an explosion,” said Pollock, who also had a pinch-hit homer Thursday night. “We always feel like we’re in it. Up and down the lineup, we’ve got guys that can do damage and put pressure on the other team. It’s fun. You show up at the ballpark and even when you’re down, you expect to win.”
The Dodgers are 30-10, matching their starts in 1888, 1955 and 1977. They have an 11-game home win streak, are 4-0 against Colorado this year, have won 24 of their past 28 games against the Rockies and have won 17 of the past 18 meetings between the two teams in L.A.
Considering their loaded roster -- with Betts bearing down on another MVP Award and A-list supporting co-stars everywhere -- no wonder the Dodgers have won 30 of 40. It’s a wonder how they've lost 10.
“I’d be hard-pressed to find a team that was better equipped to do what we do,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Rookie starter Dustin May kept Los Angeles in the game early while locked in a duel with Colorado right-hander Antonio Senzatela. In 5 2/3 innings, May allowed two runs, coming on solo home runs to Raimel Tapia, who went deep to lead off the game, and Sam Hilliard, who also homered off May two weeks ago. Pairing his 100-mph fastball with a slurve instead of a cutter, May struck out five with a walk.
The Dodgers, who currently own the No. 1 seed in the National League, will use September for postseason roster tryouts. That includes determining who will be the third starter in a best-of-three Wild Card Series, joining Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler. May, who is competing with Julio Urías and Tony Gonsolin, has the raw tools, and on Friday, he flashed pitchability.
“I’m very excited about his ability to make adjustments during the middle of a big league season. It’s tough,” Roberts said. “To tighten that breaking ball and not make it so loopy, he’s done that. Today, he showed he could get it to swing and miss, to get it over for a strike. I think he even threw it to get back into a count when down, 2-1. Really fun to watch.”
May, who turns 23 on Sunday, has not allowed more than two runs in any of his eight starts this season, and he hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of his first 12 career starts. According to STATS, LLC, that is the second-longest streak to begin a career in Dodgers history, trailing only Pedro Astacio, who allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his first 13 starts from 1992-93.
“That was the biggest step forward I’ve taken with my breaking ball in a long time,” May said. “One of the best feelings I’ve had on the mound, to land the breaking ball, because it’s never really been there.”
May wouldn’t bite when asked about a postseason role.
“For me, it’s out of my hands,” May said. “I’m just going to do whatever I can every single outing.”