Los Angeles Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger watches his two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies during the third inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers unleashed yet another weapon to continue their winning streak.
The vaunted wild pitch.
The Dodgers made some history Sunday, albeit with a great assist from the Colorado Rockies, scoring a record five runs in the final two innings on four wild pitches by Adam Ottavino.
Add the almost requisite home-run production from rookie sensation Cody Bellinger — this time he had two — and the Dodgers had a 12-6 comeback win over the Rockies for their 10th consecutive victory.
“That was a long, crazy game,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
The game went four hours and 19 minutes, making it the longest nine-inning game since Dodger Stadium opened in 1962.
Incorporated were the seventh and eighth innings when they scored five consecutive runs on four wild pitches by Adam Ottavino (1-2).
According to the Elias Sport Bureau, the Dodgers were the first team in the live-ball era (since 1920) to score at least five runs on wild pitches.
“These games are played by human beings,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Games like this happen. They’re painful when you’re on this end of it but we’ve had our share where it’s gone the other way.”
The two teams combined to throw eight wild pitches, which according to STATS is the most in a single game since 1913. Dodgers starter Brandon McCarthy threw three, one of them scoring a run.
Bellinger now has 24 home runs, helping the Dodgers stretch their longest string since they won 10 straight in August 2013. Colorado lost its season-worst fifth in a row.
The Dodgers have hit at least one home run in 17 consecutive games, tying their record in Los Angeles. Their franchise record is 24 consecutive games set by Brooklyn in 1956.
Kenley Jansen got five outs for his 17th save, and his first career double and RBI to drive in the Dodgers’ final run.
Jansen also walked his first batter of the season after striking out 51 in a dominant year.
“That was a good streak,” Roberts said. “That was historical.”
Colorado led 6-4 when Ottavino took over with two on and two out in the seventh. He walked a batter and threw a wild pitch that allowed one run to score. Ottavino then threw another wild pitch for the tying run, and when catcher Tony Wolters couldn’t find the ball, Austin Barnes raced home from second.
“He had third base, he was going hard, took the turn around third base and the play is in front of him,” Roberts said. “At that point you have to be instinctual.”
The Dodgers added five more runs in the eighth, the first two scoring on another pair of wild pitches by Ottavino. He had thrown three wild pitches this season before the problems at Dodger Stadium.
The Rockies could not stop their losing skid despite taking a 5-0 lead off McCarthy. The Dodgers came back for their 16th win in 17 games.
BELLINGER POWER
He now has six multihomer games this season, a Dodgers’ rookie record and second all-time to Mark McGwire’s seven in 1987. He also beat out an infield hit and made a diving catch in right field.
“(Dodgers broadcaster) Manny Mota comes in to remind me every day, I already got paid for yesterday,” Bellinger said. “That’s a good reminder.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: OF Carlos Gonzalez missed his third consecutive start with a sore shoulder. Black said Gonzalez did take some early batting practice and was showing improvement.
Dodgers: Put OF Franklin Gutierrez on the 10-day disabled list with another bout of Ankylosing Spondylitis, an immune arthritic condition he has battled since 2011. The team is uncertain if he will be ready to return after the 10 days off. The team called up infielder Mike Freeman from Triple-A Oklahoma City to his roster spot.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP German Marquez (5-3, 3.92 ERA) is scheduled to start the Monday opener of a three-game series against the Giants in San Francisco. The rookie has allowed only three earned runs in his last three starts (1.93 ERA) and is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in six road starts.
Dodgers: LHP Rich Hill (4-3, 4.73) will attempt to pitch into the sixth inning for the first time this season when he starts Monday against the Angels. It will mark his 10th start. In his last start Wednesday against the Mets, he allowed one run on four hits in five innings.