LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers cruised into the halfway point of the season Sunday and made it look easy.
Mookie Betts hit two of the Dodgers’ seven home runs in an 11-3 win over the Colorado Rockies. He also stole two bases, becoming the first player in franchise history with two homers and two steals in the same game.
Kiké Hernandez, Will Smith, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and Max Muncy also homered for the Dodgers, who completed a three-game sweep against their fading National League West rivals. The two teams were separated by five games Friday morning; the Rockies (13-15) are now within a half-game of the Diamondbacks and Giants in the division cellar.
Through 30 games – the halfway point in the coronavirus-shortened season – the Dodgers are 22-8. It’s their best 30-game start since 1977 (24-6). Only the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers had more wins in their first 30 games of the season (25-5).
The final score was lopsided, but the win wasn’t inevitable when Kiké Hernandez stood in against Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela (3-1) in the fourth inning. Dodgers starter Ross Stripling allowed two runs in the first four innings. The Dodgers answered with the solo homers by Seager (his seventh of 2020) and Betts (his 10th).
Two-out singles by Joc Pederson and Muncy put runners at first and third for Hernandez. He took advantage of a fastball down the middle of the plate on a 1-and-1 count for his third homer of the season.
The 18th career multi-homer game for Betts gave him 998 hits in his career. Only Fernando Tatís Jr. of the Padres has hit more home runs this season (11).
Victor Gonzalez (1-0) threw two scoreless innings in relief of Stripling and was credited with his first major league win. Dylan Floro (two-thirds of an inning) and Adam Kolarek (one inning) didn’t allow a run.
A solo home run by Sam Hilliard against Dennis Santana completed the scoring in the ninth inning.
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