Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman (5) is safe at first base after Colorado Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez came off the base to catch a wide throw during the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to a Colorado Rockies batter during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to a Colorado Rockies batter during the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to a Colorado Rockies batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gestures in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger drives in a run with a sacrifice fly ball during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies’ Ryan McMahon watches his RBI-double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts smiles in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies center fielder Yonathan Daza leaps at the wall to catch a fly ball by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger during the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. Bellinger drove in a run with a sacrifice on the play. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies’ Brendan Rodgers, left, celebrates his solo home run with Ryan McMahon (24) during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies’ Brendan Rodgers, left, celebrates with third base coach Stu Cole after his solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Trayce Thompson, front right, steals second base past Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, left, during the fifth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the fifth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Andre Jackson throws to a Colorado Rockies batter during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner throws out Colorado Rockies’ Sean Bouchard at first base during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Andre Jackson throws to a Colorado Rockies batter during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar fields a low grounder from Los Angeles Dodgers’ Trayce Thompson during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. Thompson was safe at first base for an infield single. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the ninth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard, left, and catcher Brian Serven shake hands after a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers during a baseball game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon (24) and first baseman Michael Toglia (29) celebrate after a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers during a baseball game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
LOS ANGELES ― The Colorado Rockies had lost seven consecutive games entering Sunday’s game at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers had won their last four. They were facing a starting pitcher, Germán Márquez, who had not won a game here since June 2018.
Naturally, Marquez made what might have been his most dominant start of the season and the Dodgers lost, 4-1.
Marquez did not allow a baserunner until the third inning, when Gavin Lux drew a leadoff walk and Trayce Thompson shot a soft flare into right field for a single. Lux went to third base on the hit, then tagged up and scored when Cody Bellinger hit a 394-foot fly ball to the deepest part of center field, a few feet shy of a home run.
That was the Dodgers’ only run of the game. Justin Lawrence and Daniel Bard combined with Marquez to limit the Dodgers to three hits, denying them a historic 111th win of the season before an announced crowd of 44,091 at Dodger Stadium.
No National League team has won more than 110 games since 1906.
Dodgers starter Tyler Anderson (15-5) allowed two runs in five innings in his final start of the regular season. He tied a career high with 10 strikeouts, and finished the season with a 2.57 earned-run average over 178 ⅔ innings ― second only to Julio Urías on the Dodgers’ staff.
“I thought he was good,” manager Dave Roberts said of Andderson. “He punched a lot of guys out. He wasn’t as efficient as he typically has been, but he limited damage. He competed and gave us a chance to win. I thought it was a good outing for him. He’s had a tremendous season for us and I know he’s excited about this next step.”
Anderson allowed a solo home run to Brendan Rodgers in the first inning. In the third inning, an RBI double by Ryan McMahon scored Yonathan Daza with the Rockies’ second run.
It was an atypical game for Anderson in two regards. Only Andrew Heaney had received better run support on a per-game basis than Anderson among the Dodgers’ starters. Other than rookie fill-in Michael Grove, no Dodger starter had struck out a lower percentage of opposing hitters than Anderson.
“I felt like they were really aggressive,” he said of the Rockies. “Just throwing strikes and making quality pitches overall. That way, when they were aggressive, you’re able to get ahead in the count.”
Anderson leaned heavily on his fastball and changeup, and did not allow hard contact on either pitch. The Rockies swung and missed on 11 of Anderson’s 45 fastballs, even though none of them topped 92 mph according to Statcast.
Anderson’s next start will be in the National League Division Series. He’s expecting to throw a simulated game in the meantime to keep sharp.
Marquez kept the Dodgers on their toes with an assortment of four-seamers, sinkers, sliders, and the occasional curveball or changeup. He struck out a season-high eight batters (seven swinging) in six innings. He lowered his earned-run average from 5.12 to 5.00, a smidge below the Phillies’ Kyle Gibson for the worst ERA among qualified National League pitchers.
The Dodgers trailed 2-1 when they got their second hit of the game ― in the eighth inning. Thompson’s infield single against Daniel Bard was followed by a soft dribbler to the right side of the mound by Bellinger. Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia couldn’t field the ball cleanly, and Bellinger was safe at first base on the error.
Bard came back to strike out the Dodgers’ 1-2-3 hitters ― Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith ― to snuff out the potential rally and end the inning.
The Dodgers went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. They struck out 15 times, two fewer than their single-game high for the season.
The Dodgers will conclude the regular season with three more home games against the Rockies beginning Monday.
