Max Muncy crushes grand slam in win over Rockies

DENVER — Max Muncy and Michael Conforto continue to hit well as the Dodgers dominate, winning their fifth consecutive series by defeating the Colorado Rockies 8-1 on Wednesday night at Coors Field in front of 43,881 fans.

With a rain delay in progress, Max Muncy responded when play resumed by hitting a grand slam off right-hander Jake Bird. He is now 6-for-13 with three home runs and 13 RBI in his last three games. Michael Conforto contributed with additional insurance runs late in the game, hitting his second home run in two days and his sixth of the season.

The matchup featured a pitching duel in the Rocky Mountains, with right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Chase Dollander battling through each pitch. Both pitchers allowed only one hit each through the first four innings.

Dalton Rushing started behind the plate to catch for Yamamoto, having also caught Shohei Ohtani the previous Sunday. The Dodgers' offense ignited in the sixth inning when Rushing led off with a walk, followed by a single from Ohtani. However, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman both lined out, leaving Max Muncy up with runners on second and third.

On a full count with two outs, rain began to pour heavily. Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia and second baseman Thairo Estrada lost track of Muncy’s inning-ending pop-up in the rain, allowing it to fall for a two-run single. The game was immediately stopped for a rain delay.

After an 87-minute delay, Muncy remained on first with two outs and a two-run lead. Teoscar Hernandez opened the inning with a single, followed by Andy Pages’ RBI single, extending the Dodgers' lead to 3-0. The Dodgers' offense attacked aggressively after the rain delay, with Muncy adding a clutch hit to secure a commanding lead late in the game.

Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Dalton Rushing were the only players to go hitless that night. Betts finished 0-for-5, while Freeman went 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. Freeman has struggled recently, achieving only six hits over his last 45 plate appearances. In contrast, Andy Pages continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-4 with two singles.

Yamamoto (7-6, 2.61 ERA) delivered an impressive performance on Wednesday, pitching five shutout innings, allowing only one hit while striking out six batters. With one walk and 56 pitches, Yamamoto exhibited excellent control, effectively choosing his corners with his curveball, maintaining control until the rain delay interrupted his strong outing.

Dollander (2-8, 6.06 ERA) pitched 5 ⅔ innings, giving up three hits, three runs, and two walks on 77 pitches. Following two walks and one strikeout, Dollander encountered trouble in the sixth inning, which ultimately ended his appearance due to the rain delay after Muncy’s bloop two-run single.

After the rain delay, manager Dave Roberts utilized four arms from the bullpen, beginning with right-hander Luis Trivino, followed by left-hander Alex Vesia, right-hander Michael Kopech, and newly acquired right-hander Will Klein, who closed out the final two innings by striking out the side in the eighth inning.

After winning the first two games of the series, the Dodgers will seek a sweep with left-hander Clayton Kershaw (3-0, 3.31 ERA), who is eight strikeouts away from reaching 3,000. The Rockies will counter with left-hander Austin Gomber (0-1, 8.38 ERA) for the series finale.