Sweep Dreams: Rockies do the unthinkable in L.A.

Was it all a dream? Did any of it ever happen?

The Colorado Rockies were clinging to a 2-0 lead thanks to the run producer extraordinaire, Nolan Arenado, but had missed on multiple opportunities and had been walking a tight rope with the Los Angeles Dodgers offense. Mark Reynolds strode to the plate with the bases loaded to face rookie reliever Walker Buehler, a top prospect in the Dodgers system. Reynolds worked the count in his favor then smashed a hard fastball just over the wall in left-center for a grand slam, the fifth of his career. This was the complete opposite of the strikeout and/or double play the team and their fans became accustomed to in August.

Is this real life?

A tight game turned into a route and the series ended not with a whimper… but with a bang. 8-1, Rockies.

The Dodgers have now lost 15 of their last 16 ballgames but are still 41 games over .500. This was the first four-game sweep by the Rockies in LA since August of 1993.

Colorado got right after LA pitching early again, getting a leadoff walk from Charlie Blackmon, and a pair of singles up the middle from DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado to stake a 1-0, first inning lead. Trevor Story followed with a walk to load the bases with nobody out but a popup from Carlos Gonzalez and back-t0-back punch outs by Reynolds and Raimel Tapia left ’em loaded, the Rockies having missed an opportunity to deliver a body blow early.

Tyler Chatwood picked up right where he left off in his last start against the San Francisco Giants, issuing a small village worth of base runners but somehow keeping the scoreboard clean. He surrendered a pair of one-out singles to Corey Seager and Justin Turner but struck out Cody Bellinger and got Austin Barnes to ground out to avoid damage. In the second, Chatwood gave up a leadoff single to Curtis Granderson and a one-out single to Andre Ethier but again stranded both runners with a strikeout and a lineout. In the third, it was back-to-back walks to Bellinger and Barnes but Granderson flew out and Chatwood walked off the mound having allowed 13 base runners over his last six innings pitched and zero runs.

Arenado clobbered a high fastball to lead off the third, driving it high over the left field fence for his  32nd home run of the season. He has an even split with 16 at home and 16 on the road. The blast also put him at an MLB-leading 119 RBI on the year.

Nolan Arenado se deja sentir temprano en Los Angeles con B?MBAZ? al jardín izquierdo. #LosRockies pic.twitter.com/lu8bwVikAi

— Rockies de Colorado (@LosRockies) September 10, 2017