DENVER _ Kyle Freeland held the Dodgers to one run over six innings in his major league debut and the Colorado Rockies won their home opener, 2-1, over the Dodgers on Friday afternoon at Coors Field.
Freeland (the eighth pick overall in the 2014 draft) is the second left-handed starter to handcuff the Dodgers' offense in the opening week of the season, a repeat of the team's struggles against lefties in 2016. Through five games this season, the Dodgers have hit .182 (12 for 66) with 22 strikeouts against left-handed pitchers (including relievers) and their two losses have come in games started by opposing left-handers (Freeland and San Diego's Clayton Richard on Tuesday).
The Dodgers only run against Freeland came in the fourth inning when Scott Van Slyke led off with a double. Yasmani Grandal bunted him to third base and Van Slyke trotted home when Kike' Hernandez ground out to shortstop.
The Dodgers started a left-hander of their own, Hyun-Jin Ryu. Making only his second start since the end of the 2014 season, Ryu was strong through four innings. He gave up a run on three hits in the first inning but didn't give up another until Dustin Garneau jumped a first-pitch fastball to start the bottom of the fifth and lined it high off the left field foul pole for a solo home run.
Ryu stumbled from there with two more hits and a walk before Ross Stripling replaced him. Only a replay review of a play at second base saved him from further damage.
With runners at first and second and no outs, D.J. LeMahieu bounced a ball to Justin Turner at third. Turner threw to second for the forceout but Charlie Blackmon's arm made contact with second baseman Logan Forsythe as he slid through the bag. Knocked off balance, Forsythe didn't make a throw to first, leaving runners at the corners with one out.
After Dodgers manager Dave Roberts challenged the play, though, a replay review ruled that Blackmon's slide was improper. The Dodgers were awarded a double play and the lone runner left was moved back to second base so he didn't score when Carlos Gonzalez followed with an infield single. Stripling then came in to strike out Nolan Arenado, keeping it a one-run game.
It stayed that way with relievers Stripling, Grant Dayton and Josh Fields retiring the final 10 Rockies batters in order (six by strikeout). The Dodgers had baserunners in the seventh and eighth innings against the Rockies bullpen but couldn't push across the tying run.
