DENVER — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shot down the idea that the Rockies did anything nefarious during the pivotal sixth inning of Saturday’s 4-3 loss, dismissing what catcher Dalton Rushing called some “fishy” swing decisions.
The Rockies jumped all over reliever Will Klein, stringing together three consecutive base hits to open the sixth inning and take the lead. Rushing said postgame he was surprised at the Rockies’ aggression to Klein’s breaking balls, with all three hits coming off a sweeper or slider.
“I think it’s odd that some of those hitters that do what they do, they go up there and they’re on the first pitch that was thrown,” Rushing said. “It’s a little fishy but I’ll wear it.”
The Dodgers’ loss was their first against a National League opponent this season, with the two-time reigning World Series champions off to a MLB-best 15-5 start.
Rushing was making his fifth start behind the plate this season. The 25-year-old said the big inning could’ve also been a result of his own pitch-calling.
“I think it could have been a little bit of both sides,” Rushing said. “I think they had a good gameplan as an opposing team, and maybe I pitched into their gameplan as far as calling pitches. I’m not 100 percent sure.”
The first two hits came on sweepers over the heart of the plate, with Hunter Goodman lashing a double and Ezequiel Tovar smoking an infield single off of Klein’s ankle to spark a rally. Klein threw a slider that broke right onto Troy Johnston’s barrel, and the Rockies first baseman sent it to the gap for a two-run double.
They were the decisive runs for a Rockies team that ranks 22nd in the majors this season with 80 runs scored on offense.
Roberts dismissed the notion that the Rockies, who have had the second-worst offense in baseball this season by wRC+ (76), did anything wrong. It was just a bad outing from Klein, Roberts said.
“I saw some bad breaking balls,” Roberts said. “So, I don’t think there was anything fishy behind it. I think there were some bad pitches.”