Series against the Rockies always feel like a must-win, which adds a certain tension when things aren’t going how they should. That was much the case today when the Dodgers stranded a small island to start and then got a bit unlucky to give up the lead. With outs running down, the bats finally put together a rally in the 7th to take the lead, and the pen did their job to start the homestand with a 5-3 victory.
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Facing Tanner Gordon, the Dodgers had a bunch of chances to cash in runs early on, but ended up taking only one of them. That started immediately as Shohei Ohtani led off with a double but didn’t move, and they then went quietly in the 2nd.
In the 3rd, Hyeseong Kim led off with a single, and Enrique Hernandez made his glorious return with a double down the line in left to score him and give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
Kiké back like he never left! pic.twitter.com/x696VcRCEj
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 26, 2026
Shohei then stood as a statue to walk as they basically intentionally passed him, and that move paid off after a flyout and double play ended the threat just like that.
Thank god Rushing didn’t do this take Shohei did or it’d give Jomboy another five million views of pearl-clutching. pic.twitter.com/8c5msi2Nxt
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 26, 2026
The Dodgers got right back to it in the 4th, as a lead-off Andy Pages double and a one-out Teoscar Hernandez single and steal of second were left stranded there to deepen frustration. Not as bad, but an infield single to start the 5th was also left there as well, and that was all for Gordon.
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On the other end, Emmet Sheehan started out looking dominant, striking out the first two batters he faced on six pitches. He did hit the next batter before getting out of the 1st, but then gave up just a two-out single in the 2nd and a lead-off single in the 3rd.
Sheehan’s first six pitches are strikes for two strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/SfgNj4mQ8F
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 26, 2026
The 4th proved problematic, as a lead-off double was followed by a comebacker at 104 MPH that hit Emmet in the throwing arm for a single that cornered things with nobody out. Somehow he stayed in the game, but gave up a groundball single to Willi Castro for a run and then gave up the lead when Ezequiel Tovar hit a sac fly. 2-1 Rockies.
Willi ties us up! pic.twitter.com/EborCLz9qD
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 26, 2026
And a great at-bat by Tovi gives us the lead 😤 pic.twitter.com/RvGbJBAu29
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 26, 2026
Sheehan then gave up just a walk (and got a caught stealing) in the next eight batters he faced, as he settled in nicely to get through six frames despite the potentially very bad injury and inning.
Emmet was pretty unlucky to even give up what he did: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 92 Pitches.
Emmet Sheehan strikes out 8 despite taking a 104 MPH liner off the arm halfway through. He was kinda unlucky to even give up two runs. pic.twitter.com/18w6HhMpS8
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 26, 2026
Meanwhile, the pen finally had their scoreless streak ended via a Tovar homer to start the 7th off Kyle Hurt, who got the next three.
TOVI SENDS IT OUT ? pic.twitter.com/DKoHl1nVtk
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 26, 2026
Still, 3-1 Rockies.
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For the Rockies pen, Juan Mejia entered and started well with a clean 6th. Fortunately that did not last, as he issued back-to-back walks to Will Smith and Kim. At that point, Dave Roberts kinda overthought things and sent Dalton Rushing up to hit for Enrique despite the struggling reliever. The Rockies went to Brennan Bernardino, and Dave hit Miguel Rojas in response, potentially burning two players for a worse matchup in the context of things.
Nevertheless, it worked out as Bernardino hit Rojas while he was down 0-2 to load them up, and Shohei grounded out to plate a run with Mookie Betts following with a sac fly to tie things up at 3-3.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, the Dodgers tie it up with two outs from Ohtani and Betts. I mean … I’ll take it. pic.twitter.com/op0HK56zHs
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 26, 2026
Freddie Freeman immediately followed with a double off the wall to score Ohtani, who tagged on the sac fly, to make it 4-3 Dodgers.
Man, I love Freddie. pic.twitter.com/pnJ0K4hGwu
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 26, 2026
Jaden Hill then entered and Pages singled off him to score another, making it 5-3 before the rally ended.
Andy scores another run with a single. It’s happening? pic.twitter.com/WiL23VrM8f
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 26, 2026
Welinton Herrera kept the team quiet in the 8th, but it was enough.
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Out of the pen was Will Klein in the 8th and he looked the best he had all year en route to a clean frame, striking out two and regularly touching 100 MPH.
To get the save was Alex Vesia in the 9th, who got two outs but allowed a bloop single between. I assume for matchup reasons, Dave went to Blake Treinen for the final out, and it was he who locked it down.
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Oops.
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34-20, it’s good.
The two teams get back at it tomorrow at the more normal time of 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET with Eric Lauer making his Dodgers debut against Kyle Freeland (actually this time, I think).
