



LOS ANGELES — Like crystals, green tea or any number of products on Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘Goop’ website, the Colorado Rockies are going to have healing properties this season.
The Dodgers won just three of nine games before the Rockies came to Dodger Stadium this week. But there’s nothing like a series against the woeful Rockies to put things right and the Dodgers beat them for the second consecutive night Tuesday, 6-2.
The Rockies have started the season a major-league worst 3-14 and have lost their last five consecutive games in San Diego and Los Angeles by a combined score of 27-5.
The biggest flaw that seemed to drag the Dodgers down during their three consecutive series losses was a lack of production from the bottom of the lineup. Even in Monday’s win over the Rockies, the top four hitters in the lineup did all the damage, going 9 for 17 with two home runs and all five of their runs scored while the bottom five hitters were 1 for 15.
The top of the lineup was still productive Tuesday. Freddie Freeman was on base fpur times (two walks and two singles), Shohei Ohtani stole two bases and scored twice and Will Smith had the big hit of the night, a three-run home run.
But the bottom of the lineup did show some signs of life.
Led by Tommy Edman’s four-hit game (two doubles and two singles), the bottom five hitters — Michael Conforto, Edman, Max Muncy, Chris Tayor and Andy Pages — were on base 12 times with six hits, four walks and two hit batters. Edman drove in a run with one of his doubles and Taylor had an RBI single.
Smith’s home run highlighted a four-run third inning that made things easier for starter Landon Knack who had some healing of his own to do after a poor start in Washington left his ERA bruised and swollen (10.80).
Knack allowed a two-run double to Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings with two outs in the fourth inning but pitched into the fifth inning without allowing any more damage. Rookie left-hander Jack Dreyer followed and walked the first batter he faced. But he retired the next five in order, four on strikeouts.
Dreyer has been an early-season revelation in the Dodgers’ bullpen. He has allowed just one run in 12 innings while holding opposing batters to a .079 average (3 for 38) with 16 strikeouts.
Kirby Yates ran into some trouble in the seventh when he walked Stallings to start the inning and gave up a two-out double to Nick Martini. But he struck out the side and stranded both runners. Alex Vesia and Luis Garcia closed it out with a scoreless inning each.
The Rockies had just one hit after Stallings’ double in the fourth inning.