Dodgers 4 Rockies 1: Ghostbusted

It is time to get your brooms out because the Dodgers have swept the Rockies as they quickly approach the All-Star break.

Brandon McCarthy was brilliant this afternoon. He has been inactive and on the bench for the Dodgers since April of 2015, so he definitely had to prove himself today. He went five innings today, allowed just two hits, no earned runs and struck out eight. McCarthy has always had great control, but he was on today. After not seeing him pitch in over a year, I truly forgot about McCarthy’s ability and how beautiful his pitches are when he is on. McCarthy got the W today which only makes his outing even better.

Since Clayton Kershaw went on the DL, Dodger starters are now 4-0 and only allowed one run, while the offense has scored 19. Maybe Kershaw’s injury lit a fire under the team. The team in general has been doing great. The few runs that have been allowed were out of the pen, but the pitching staff in general has stepped up.

The Dodgers would score first in the game and got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Trayce Thompson led off the inning with a home run to center. Howie Kendrick was then hit by a pitch and awarded first base. Yasiel Puig joined in the fun with a walk. Yasmani Grandal walked and McCarthy was headed to the plate. McCarthy worked a walk as well. With three consecutive walks, Jon Gray had just walked in the Dodgers second run. Gray recovered by getting two quick outs, but the Dodgers were not done scoring runs. Justin Turner came up and singled in another run. Puig easily made it home, but Grandal was out at the plate. I honestly have no idea why he went. Grandal was out by a mile. With that, the inning was over, but the Dodgers were still up by a score of 3-0.

The score would remain the same until the top of the seventh when Daniel Descalso homered to right off of Casey Fien. It was just a solo shot but it got the Rockies on the board making the score 3-1, Dodgers. However, it would not stop the Dodgers. In the bottom of the seventh, Grandal hit a solo shot to center and the Dodgers were again up by three runs.

Kenley Jansen entered the game in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Dodgers had the lead over the Rockies by a score of 4 to 1. He got D.J LeMahieu to strike out right away and then Carlos Gonzalez singled. Jansen bounced-back with two more strike outs and the game was over. The Dodgers had officially swept the Rockies! They did so by literally shutting down a good offensive team. The Rockies struck out 41 times through this series and six times in the last two innings of today’s game.

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Corey Seager also extended his hitting streak to 16 games today. He is currently tied with Steve Sax and Andre Ethier for the longest hitting streak by a rookie in Dodgers history since the team has moved to LA.

Today’s game was also a little weirder than normal. Vin Scully told a story like only Scully could do, expect this time it was about Rockies starting pitcher Gray. Apparently Gray has a fixation and passion for finding ghosts. The man even has cameras and technology to assist him. Scully just thought it was great and even referred to some Dodgers players as “ghosts” to Gray when he allowed them to reach base or they scored. The whole thing is a bit strange, but the ghost-buster enthusiast got the loss this afternoon, so the Dodgers turned it around and ghostbusted him.

You would think starting the game off with a story about ghosts would be the strangest thing that happened, but unfortunately the was not the case. In the ninth inning as Nolan Arenado was at bat and Jansen on the mound, some protesters took the field with their signs and interrupted the game. They ran from their seats in the lower level, around the mound and part of the infield. Sadly because of the position of Sports Net LA’s cameras, viewers got to see the protesters. If you have listened to Scully for any amount of time, you know that people running on the field mid-game is the fastest way to annoy him. He said:

"“It is embarrassing for the hardworking fellas who have to restore peace and quiet, but they have to do it”."

He also refused to give them any attention, which is clearly what they were seeking. Instead they panned to the flag in the outfield and Scully carried on about how Arenado is a “good looking guy”. The whole thing was such a same, but since viewers saw it all go down, you have to give those securities guards credit. They looked like linebackers out there as they took the inconsiderate and selfish fans to the ground.

After all of that happened, Arenado still had to finish his at bat. Jansen struck out two more and that was the game. The game started with a weird story and ended with a weird story.

The Dodgers will begin a new series with the Orioles tomorrow as they celebrate the fourth of July and out freedom. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 PM tomorrow with a ceremony and fireworks to conclude the game. Let’s do it all over again tomorrow boys!