DENVER — Dave Roberts wanted to avoid using two of his top three relievers on Wednesday night after de facto closer Evan Phillips pitched in the previous three games and setup man Brusdar Graterol pitched in three of four games.
So with a two-run lead in the sixth inning and dark storm clouds moving in over Coors Field, the Dodgers manager had little choice but to turn to a pair of lower-leverage arms in hopes of bridging the gap between starter Michael Grove and back-end relievers Yency Almonte and Caleb Ferguson.
The bridge buckled under left-hander Victor Gonzalez and collapsed under right-hander Nick Robertson, who combined to give up five runs and four hits in the bottom of the sixth inning of an eventual 9-8 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
