The Dodgers’ Enrique Hernández hits an RBI double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Dodgers’ Enrique Hernández drops his bat after hitting an RBI double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Dodgers’ Hyeseong Kim runs to score off an RBI double by Enrique Hernández during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani looks on after being walked during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani gestures on second base after hitting a double during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan throws to a Colorado Rockies batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
LOS ANGELES — On a night when the Dodgers needed to duck for cover, they still had enough composure to rally for a 5-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday.
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Starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan took a line drive off the right arm, pinch hitter Miguel Rojas took a pitch off his right leg and the bullpen coughed up a run for the first time in 12 games, yet the Dodgers were able to hide the pain with a four-run seventh inning.
Helping to make it all easier to bear was the return of utility man Kiké Hernandez, who made his season debut following offseason elbow surgery and ripped an RBI double during his first at-bat in the third inning.
“He looked good,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “I felt tonight was good to have him in the game, get him a start. I thought he was going to bring some energy, just obviously having (not) played for a while. He did bring that, got a big (RBI double) for us, got another infield hit. It was good to have him back.”
The energy Roberts hoped to get from Hernandez was evident early. After Hyeseong Kim walked to lead off the third inning, Hernandez doubled down the left-field line on the second pitch he saw in a major league game this season. The speedy Kim scored from first base with ease.
“Honestly, (rehab) was pretty easy, because it was just a matter of waiting,” Hernandez said. “I’ve had other surgeries where the rehab wasn’t as easy as this one. But relatively speaking, obviously, it took a lot of hard work and discipline, but it was pretty smooth. There were no setbacks. I was ahead of schedule by a lot.”
But the offense stalled against Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon, who was making his first start of the season after seven appearances in long relief. Gordon looked nothing like the pitcher who gave up seven runs on 12 hits in a 6⅓-inning relief appearance last week.
“It looked (worrisome) through six innings,” Roberts said. “… We couldn’t finish the innings off, so it was a little bit of a letdown. I just don’t think our focus was where it needed to be early. But what we’ve done all year is, seventh, eighth and ninth innings we start kind of bearing down a little bit more.”
The Dodgers were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position until they broke out in the seventh inning against the Rockies’ bullpen for their 18th comeback win of the season.
Mookie Betts tied the score 3-3 on a sacrifice fly and Freddie Freeman delivered a go-ahead RBI double off the right-field wall. Andy Pages supplied an insurance run with a single to center.
“It was good to see us show some life tonight,” Roberts said. “Early on, obviously, we had some chances and really couldn’t cash in situationally. But the pitching held strong.”
Sheehan looked like he would never escape the fourth inning, first when he was hit by a Troy Johnston line drive and then when the Rockies scored twice after he took the nearly 104-mph liner off his biceps.
“I just told them I felt good,” said Sheehan, who pinpointed the impact between his biceps and triceps. “They were concerned, I think, but yeah, I felt fine. I did a good amount of lobbying.”
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Sheehan remained in the game but only to give up an RBI single to Willi Castro and a sacrifice fly from Ezequiel Tovar to put the Rockies ahead 2-1.
Sheehan was able to go six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk with eight strikeouts.
“Yeah, I mean, that’s your job as a starter is to get through as many as possible, take the load off the bullpen, and put up zeros,” Sheehan said. “So definitely felt good to be out there for six. I had a couple pitches I wanted to have back, but yeah, felt good.”
Said Roberts: “He’s just a good competitor. Pitchers, our guys right now are starting once every six days. This was his day and he wasn’t about to come out of that game.”
Sheehan was replaced by right-hander Kyle Hurt in the seventh when Tovar hit a home run to give Colorado a 3-1 advantage.
The run ended the bullpen’s streak of 38 consecutive innings without allowing a run, which was a modern-day record for the franchise.
“All good things are meant to come to an end and we’ll start another one,” Roberts said.
The offense helped remove the sting in the seventh. Will Smith and Hyeseong Kim opened with walks against Juan Mejia. Dalton Rushing batted for Hernandez, but Rojas replaced Rushing when the Rockies went to left-hander Brennan Bernardino.
Rojas was hit by Bernardino’s third pitch to load the bases. Ohtani brought home the first run of the inning, while bringing the Dodgers within 3-2 when he beat out a potential double-play grounder. Betts, Freeman and Pages followed with their RBI hits.
After Hurt gave up a run, Will Klein, Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen closed out the victory. Hurt (1-0) ended up with his first career win, while Treinen got the final out for his first save of the season.
“(The bullpen) got another two (scoreless) innings under our belt after that homer,” Roberts said. “But yeah, Kyle’s been great for us. Tovar hit a changeup. It was good to see Kyle come back and get that next hitter.”
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