After a successful series against the Padres, the Dodgers welcomed the Rockies and kicked things off with the unbeatable Eric Lauer, who either shuts down the opposition, makes the offense score for him, or both, and he did enough yet again for the team. Unfortunately, Tanner Scott blew a three-run lead in the 9th that cost him a win, but all that did was eventually set things up for Dalton Rushing to walk it off for an 8-7 win.
The Dodgers are 7-0 in games he has pitched for the team.
Nothing like a little shade to start a series.
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Eric Lauer didn’t put in his best performance, but he kept the team in the game and protected the lead, which is what he’s supposed to do.
He worked around a lead-off walk in the 1st, but then got into major trouble in the 2nd. Things started with two singles and a hit batter to load the bases with nobody out. However, he gave up just an Ezequiel Tovar sac fly to minimize the damage.
Tovar gets us on the board! pic.twitter.com/IQBC1IkyVW
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 7, 2026
Following a clean 3rd, he worked around a one-out single and steal in the 4th, but then gave up a lead-off homer to Tovar in the 5th.
After stranding a one-out walk later in that inning, a lead-off double in the 6th was cashed in with a one-out single by Jake McCarthy for their third run, but he then ran into a double play to end the inning.
McCarthy was stealing on a flyball to center, and he popped up off the bag on a slide to the third-base side and didn’t retouch making it as if he cut the bag without touching it.
McCarthy runs into a double play when he slides into second on a steal attempt for a flyout, comes off the bag towards third and doesn’t retouch the bag. pic.twitter.com/Cqpa0RJ53w
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
That was it for Lauer, who exited with a comfortable cushion: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 99 Pitches.
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A quality start, and that was enough for the Dodgers offense to back him against the struggling Kyle Freeland.
They started with just a two-out single in the 1st, and stranded a lead-off single in the 2nd. However, things changed quickly in the 3rd, as Dalton Rushing hit the first pitch for a double and then Shohei Ohtani hit the second pitch for his 19th homer of the year to put the Dodgers on the board.
After Rushing blistered a double on the first pitch of the inning, Ohtani hit the second for an oppo homer to put the Dodgers in front just like that. pic.twitter.com/FOHtYUbL1e
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
They really blew things open in the 4th, as Kyle Tucker, Teoscar Hernandez, and Max Muncy all singled in a row to start the inning to plate a run, then Miguel Rojas followed with a sac fly to give the Dodgers four runs. A Rushing double followed to put two into scoring position again, and Ohtani then singled with the infield in for two more to make it six for the Dodgers.
Tucker, Teoscar, and Muncy with three consecutive singles for a run, then Miggy hits a sac fly to double the lead. pic.twitter.com/d7Fg1yhhX5
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
After Rushing doubles again, Ohtani singles past the drawn-in infield to plate two more. pic.twitter.com/X0wEK4tTlK
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
Freeland was done after a quiet 5th, and their pen entered for a 6th and went three scoreless.
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Protecting a 6-3 Dodgers lead, the pen started the 7th with Brock Stewart, who cruised through a 1-2-3 frame. Alex Vesia didn’t have an easy 8th, as a lead-off and two-out walk brought the tying run to the plate, but he escaped disaster with a groundout that ended with McCarthy eating it at first this time.
McCarthy not having fun on the bases, as he eats it after grounding out as the tying run. pic.twitter.com/N2516390gw
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
It was then Tanner Scott in the 9th for a save, and he notably walked his first batter since May 19, then gave up a single to bring the tying run to the plate. Kyle Karros then hit a hustle double to score a run and cut the lead to 6-4, then issued an intentional walk to load the bases with one down.
Scott then rebounded with a three-pitch strikeout, but then gave up a double to Cole Carrigg to score two runs and tie the game at 6-6. They were lucky to not be down by one as Hunter Goodman‘s great slide was ruled safe live but out on review to not put them down a run. Great tag by Rushing.
The relay of Pages to Rojas to Rushing prevents complete disaster and gets the Dodgers a chance to win it. Great tag. pic.twitter.com/F809FKcYqa
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
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Now tied going into a walk-off situation in the 9th, Antonio Senzatela entered for the Rockies. He gave up a lead-off single that was sacrificed to second, but nothing else except an intentional walk of Ohtani with two down. Not the best strategic decision, IMO.
And so it was extra innings for the Dodgers for the first time all year.
Edgardo Henriquez started the 10th, and a sac bunt advanced the Manfred Runner to third before a McCarthy groundout resulted in the go-ahead run scoring for the Rockies to make it 7-6. After the play, Carrigg and Rushing seemed to exchange words, but a whole lot of nothing, really.
On a play at the plate, Rushing and Carrigg get into it after a minor collision. Carrigg appears to take exception to Rushing applying a tag after to make sure, and Rushing takes exception to that. pic.twitter.com/Qj8Ojq4s42
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
Him blocking the plate there is legal, btw.
For the save, it was Brennan Bernardino for the Rockies, and Freddie Freeman started with a grounder to first that acted like a sac bunt. Mookie Betts then took advantage by lining a ball up the middle that Edouard Julien just whiffed on for an error that scored Andy Pages as the Manfred Runner to tie things up at 7-7.
Edouard Julien actually had it. Big oof. pic.twitter.com/Tu84wKHYEV
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
Kyle Tucker followed with a bloop single to put a pair on, and Jimmy Herget entered for the Rockies. He immediately went 3-0 to Teoscar Hernandez, and he swung to line one back to Herget for a double play. Yeesh.
Teoscar swings 3-0 and lines into a double play, lmfao. Basically the only thing you didn’t want with Muncy waiting. pic.twitter.com/WE8RUxtqgB
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
Henriquez continued in the 11th, issuing a lead-off walk, but Julien continued his bad day by popping up a bunt, and then Goodman rolled one back to Henriquez for a double play.
Then again, if you get the guy to pop it up, then get their best hitter to roll one back to your pitcher, it works out fine. https://t.co/AGk44DyIhR pic.twitter.com/lCW88Nyntb
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
Herget also stayed in for the Rockies in the 11th, starting with an intentional walk to Max Muncy, which was followed by a Tommy Edman sac bunt to move both over (this one made sense).
Rushing then stepped up and came through with his third hit, a walk-off single.
A Los Angeles Dodgers backup catcher who is now starting walks it off.
Doing by best impression. pic.twitter.com/UrXwVmB3R7
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
Victory formation!
Dodgers x @Yaamava pic.twitter.com/0B2pDKS2UF
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 7, 2026
Funniest possible guy to walk it off here.
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Eric Karros with negative aura points fleeing from a foul ball back into the booth that Joe Davis claims.
Eric Karros flees for his life from a foul ball back into the booth. pic.twitter.com/KjkeNylc2s
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
Andre Ethier‘s mark is still in the dugout.
All the money and they said “eh, just paint over that shit”, lmfao. https://t.co/MO5lkDhe5k
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 7, 2026
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60-32 is very good, and it puts them 2.5 games up … for the best record in baseball.
The series continued tomorrow at 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET with Justin Wrobleski looking to start an All-Star snub revenge tour against Michael Lorenzen.
