Senzatela prevents Dodgers' sweep with another outstanding performance in Rox 6-3 win

There’s a new leader in the clubhouse for best starting pitcher on the Colorado Rockies.

After lowering his earned run average to 2.10 at Coors Field during the 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Antonio Senzatela staked his claim for a spot as the 2021 Opening Day starter.

Minus two base on balls in the seventh inning that expedited his exit, the 25-year-old was en route to becoming the first purple pitcher to notch consecutive complete games at home.

It was typical Antonio: ground balls (9 out of 10 outs) and the timely double play.

Offensively, Trevor Story extended his hitting streak to 12 games, longest active in MLB, and Kevin Pillar did the same with his single in the fourth.

Once again, it was Josh Fuentes’ time to shine as the starting first baseman produced his second three-hit ballgame in the past three games to go along with three RBI against Los Angeles.

Besides a shaky ninth by Daniel Bard, Yency Almonte did his job for 1.1 innings and Mychal Givens made one pitch – a slider, for trivia fanatics – to get the final out and prevent a four-game sweep.

Player of the Game: Senzatela – 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Senza nearly escaped with his third scoreless performance of the year before consecutive walks to Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger in the seventh came back to bite when Almonte gave up a single to Edwin Ríos for the Dodgers’ only run of the day.

Turning Point: Fuentes produces in first opportunity

Batting fifth for the first time in 27 starts, the 27-year-old came to the plate with the bases loaded in the fourth inning following singles by Raimel Tapia and Kevin Pillar, and a base on balls to Trevor Story.

Fuentes connected on the second pitch he saw from Dodgers’ starter Tony Gonsolin and his single to center scored two runs to give Colorado the first crooked number of the afternoon.

Defensive Gem: Tapia cuts down reigning NL MVP via cannon

Aside from looking out of sorts on the batted ball portion of Bellinger’s .620 expected-batting average fly, Tapia recovered nicely to fire an absolute missile to third base and catch the batter-runner trying to stretch his one-out double into a triple.

Diamond Details

• Entering Sunday’s game, the Dodgers were 22-7 (.759) on the road this season, good for the best road record in the Majors this season and the second-best road winning percentage of all-time, trailing only the 1906 Chicago Cubs (59-15, .797).