LOS ANGELES — Hours after being called up from the minors, Will Smith connected for a pinch-hit, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning that lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Colorado Rockies 6-3 Sunday.
It was the third straight day a Dodgers rookie hit a walk-off homer — all against the Rockies — the first time that has happened in major league history. Matt Beaty hit a two-run shot in the ninth inning on Friday and Alex Verdugo did it in the 11th on Saturday.
Smith, a 24-year-old catcher playing his seventh game in the big leagues, hit a slider from Scott Oberg (5-1) over the wall in centre. Beaty singled to lead off the inning and advanced on a wild pitch, and Russell Martin was intentionally walked with two outs to bring up Beaty.
Smith was promoted from Triple-A when infielder David Freese was put on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Friday with a left hamstring sprain.
Kenley Jansen (3-2) pitched one inning.
The Dodgers, with the best record in the majors, swept the three-game series and finished a 9-2 homestand.
In first inning, Dodgers star Cody Bellinger hit a foul ball that struck a young woman in the head. She was taken to a hospital for precautionary tests.
The woman was sitting four rows from the field down the first base line, just beyond protective netting that extends to the end of the visiting dugout. Bellinger checked on her between innings — she at first stayed in her seat and was given an ice pack, but left about 15 minutes later for further attention.
A woman died last August after being struck in the head by a foul ball at Dodger Stadium. All 30 major league stadiums expanded protective netting to at least the far ends of the dugouts at the start of the 2018 season after several fans were injured by foul balls two years ago.
Fan safety has received further scrutiny after fans were hit by fouls in the last month at Houston and at a Chicago White Sox game — the White Sox and Nationals recently announced that they will extend their netting to the foul poles.
In the ninth inning, a female fan ran toward Bellinger in right field. He was trying to fend her off, and security personnel tackled her as she tried hug Bellinger.
The Dodgers managed just three hits off Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela before breaking through in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Chris Taylor greeted reliever Chad Bettis with a three-run homer for a 3-2 lead.
Colorado tied it in the eighth when Daniel Murphy scored from first on Tony Wolters’ double into the right-field corner. It appeared as if the play at the plate was going to be close, but Martin was not able to cleanly catch Bellinger’s throw.
Dahl hit a solo homer off Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda.
ROCKIES MOVE
Colorado optioned pitcher Jeff Hoffman to Triple-A Albuquerque to make room for OF Garrett Hampson. Hampson played centre field and batted second, going 2 for 5.
TRAINER’S ROOM
UP NEXT
Colorado: RHP Jon Gray (7-5, 4.18 ERA) gets the call Monday for the start of a three-game series in San Francisco. Gray leads the team with eight quality starts.
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (7-1, 2.85 ERA) starts the first of a three-game set Monday at Arizona. Kershaw is 16-9 in 31 career starts vs. the Diamondbacks.
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