Dodgers Light Up Coors, Now They Need To Keep It Going

After what might reasonably be considered the low point of their season, the Dodgers left Chavez Ravine and headed for the Mile High City, where a change of scenery probably couldn't have come at a better time.

Considering how the long weekend went in Los Angeles, getting out of town had to feel like a breath of fresh air.

It was.

And perhaps because Coors Field has a way of making even the most reluctant offense feel a little better about itself, the Dodgers exploded for 11 runs Monday night, beating the Colorado Rockies 11-5.

For Los Angeles, it was win No. 75.

For Colorado, it was loss No. 75.

At this point in the season, the Dodgers' victory should probably be classified as a "doing what you're supposed to do" victory. It is not that anyone is trying to rain on the parade, but if the Dodgers don't start putting W's on the scoreboard with some regularity, that parade may be the only one we are talking about come October.

That said, a night like this can put some badly needed life back into a baseball team.

Blake Snell was again impressive on the mound, allowing just two hits and one run over six innings while striking out five. The top of the Dodgers lineup showed up in a rather spectacular fashion, led by Shohei Ohtani, who went 4-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs.

Max Muncy added a three-run blast that traveled an estimated 461 feet.

That's a pretty good way to spend a Monday night.

The Dodgers scored 11 runs, their highest total since putting up 12 against San Diego on July 2. They entered the night averaging just 3.4 runs per game over a stretch in which they had lost 11 of their previous 16.

So yes, this was different.

Very different.

Ohtani was particularly comfortable in Denver, as he tends to be. His fifth-inning solo homer and sixth-inning two-run shot continued a remarkable run at Coors Field. He has now hit safely in 21 consecutive games there, batting .413 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs during the streak.

Apparently the thin air agrees with him.

The Dodgers' problem is that there is considerably more baseball to be played outside Colorado.

And some of the problems that followed them out of Los Angeles remain glaring.

Edwin Diaz remains lost on the mound. He entered the ninth inning with the Dodgers comfortably ahead and promptly surrendered three runs. Kyle Tucker remains missing at the plate, while Teoscar Hernández continues to search for the version of himself the Dodgers expected to see on a regular basis.

Those issues didn't magically disappear because the Rockies' pitching staff spent the evening helping the Dodgers fill out the scoreboard.

In fact, there is a bit of a tug-of-war taking place among Dodger fans right now.

On one side are those pulling for Monday night's offensive explosion to be the beginning of something. They see 11 runs, a strong start from Snell, Ohtani looking like Ohtani and Muncy launching baseballs into the Colorado night and want to believe this is the beginning of the turnaround.

On the other side are those who have watched the recent stretch and have reached the point where patience has become a limited commodity. They want Diaz out of the ninth inning. They want Tucker out of the lineup. They want something—anything—to change.

Both sides have a legitimate argument.

The Dodgers probably aren't going to fix everything in one night.

They can, however, start making the argument for the optimistic side a little stronger.

"Collectively, I liked everything," Dave Roberts said. "That's who we are."

Max Muncy would like to see more of it.

"To have a night where we can put up a bunch of runs...hopefully that's something we can continue to build off of."

That last part is the key.

Continue.

One 11-run night in Coors Field is encouraging. It is also Coors Field, where the baseball occasionally seems to have its own agenda.

The Dodgers need to do themselves a much bigger favor this week.

They need to win another game.

Then another.

Then another.

Not simply because beating Colorado is something a team with postseason aspirations is supposed to do, but because the Dodgers need to rediscover the version of themselves that won consistently earlier in the season.

The pitching has shown signs of coming around. Snell has looked strong in both starts since returning from elbow surgery. The offense finally showed some life Monday. Ohtani is swinging the bat like a man who has apparently discovered a personal agreement with the altitude.

Now they need to make it travel.

There is also the small matter of Diaz, whose ninth-inning struggles continue to hang over every game in which the Dodgers build a comfortable lead. A three-run ninth against Colorado doesn't erase what happened against Milwaukee, and it certainly doesn't make the closer situation any less interesting.

But Monday wasn't the night to solve all of that.

Monday was about getting off the deck.

The Dodgers did.

They scored 11 runs, Snell delivered six strong innings, Muncy launched another ball toward Wyoming and Ohtani put together a four-hit night that looked suspiciously like the player everyone remembers.

Now comes the harder part.

Do it again.

And then do it again.

And again.

Because winning one game and putting crooked numbers on the scoreboard is impressive.

Winning consistently is what the Dodgers actually need.

Eric Lauer gets the ball Tuesday night.

The Dodgers will try to prove Monday wasn't simply a product of the altitude.