Dodgers salvage series split with Rockies, need no closer in blowout win

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Dodgers salvage series split with Rockies, need no closer in blowout win

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Max Muncy in a gray and blue uniform, with his back to the viewer and his right arm raised, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers player Miguel Vargas at bat during a game against the Colorado Rockies, Image 3 shows Justin Wrobleski pitching, wearing a grey Dodgers uniform with number 70

Jack Harris · NY Post Sports

Tue, Apr 21, 2026 ·

4 min read

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DENVER –– What's the best way for the Dodgers to work around an elbow injury to closer Edwin Díaz ?

How about by building leads so big, they don't even have a save situation come the ninth inning.

That's what happened Monday in a 12-3 blowout of the Colorado Rockies , helping the Dodgers salvage a four-game series split at Coors Field after suffering losses the previous two days .

Justin Wrobleski got the start on the mound against the Rockies. AP

Before the game, all the attention was on Díaz , who the team announced is undergoing elbow surgery this week to remove loose bodies that had caused his early-season velocity to dip.

In his absence, manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers (16-6) will go closer-by-committee when it comes to ninth-inning save situations. For one night, however, he didn't have to make such a decision.

Instead, the lineup built an insurmountable lead, bludgeoning veteran left-hander José Quintana for six runs in his start en route to scoring in all but two innings overall.

"I think we needed to bounce back," veteran infielder Miguel Rojas said, "especially after the last couple days."

The onslaught began with back-to-back second-inning home runs from Max Muncy and Rojas, propelling that duo to a combined 7-for-7 performance from the Nos. 6-7 spots that was punctuated by another Muncy homer in the ninth.

Max Muncy rounds the bases after smacking a home run. AP

Shohei Ohtani extended his on-base streak to 52 games, reaching base three times on a single and two walks.

Dalton Rushing also belted his sixth and seventh home runs of the season, putting him stunningly one off the National League lead (for which Muncy is tied with eight) despite having just 27 at-bats all year.

All of that meant, once the Dodgers finally turned things over to the bullpen, relievers Edgardo Henriquez and newly-recalled Jake Eder didn't face anything close to stress.

By that point, the team had already long pulled away.

For one night, at least, Díaz was not missed.

Miguel Rojas celebrates his home run while rounding the bases. Getty Images

What it means

Splitting a four-game set with the rebuilding Rockies (9-14) will go down as a disappointing result for the Dodgers.

Still, by winning on Monday, they avoided what would've been their first series defeat to Colorado since 2022 –– improving to 12-0-4 in their last 16 meetings against their NL West division foe.

"We had two games in the middle where we missed some opportunities," Muncy said. "But overall I thought we played pretty good. I think the team's in a great spot."

This season, the Dodgers have dropped just one of their first seven series, remaining unbeaten since the Cleveland Guardians took two of three from them during the opening homestand.

Who's hot

Rojas' second-inning blast might have been his first home run of the season. But it was not his most meaningful swing of the night.

That came in the fourth, when he lined a single to left field for the 1,000th hit of his 13-year career.

The accomplishment was not lost on Rojas, who pumped his fists and looked to the skies as he trotted up the first-base line. The Dodgers made sure to get the ball returned to the visiting dugout, too, where Roberts playfully pretended to throw it in the stands.

"Not many people could have thought that I was going to have an opportunity to play this long in the game," said Rojas, who at 37 years old is planning to retire after this year.

But, he added, "I never let anybody put a ceiling on top of my head. I kept going through those ceilings that they put above me. It was all about taking that label away from my head, that I was a defensive replacement guy, defensive-first guy. 'He can't hit. he's just gonna play shortstop. He's here because of his defense.' That's why 1,000 hits for me means a lot."

By night's end, Rojas had hit No. 1,001, as well, finishing 3-for-3 –– in addition to dropping down a run-scoring sacrifice bunt –– to continue what has been a strong start to his final season. In 13 games, he is now batting .382 with a .950 OPS.

Who's not

The Rockies' defense, which did not help the team's cause on an embarrassingly ugly night.

The club committed three errors and two that directly led to runs, including a seemingly routine grounder to third baseman Kyle Karros in the third inning that spun away from him to aid a two-run rally.

There was also a costly balk in the fourth from Quintana –– who appeared to have escaped a bases-loaded jam on a lineout double-play from Ohtani, only for the third base umpire to rule he had twitched before the pitch, forcing in another score as the Dodgers pulled away.

Up next

The Dodgers were headed to the airport postgame to catch a flight to San Francisco , where they will begin their first series of the season against the rival Giants on Tuesday night. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2-1, 2.10 ERA) will face Landon Roupp (3-1, 2.38 ERA) in the opener.

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