Dodgers dealt a loss in Justin Wrobleski’s push for the All-Star Game

Justin Wrobleski struck out nine batters in his start on Tuesday against the Rockies. (Carrie Giordano/Los Angeles Dodgers)

by Megan Garcia

A day after the Dodgers outlasted the Rockies in their first extra-inning outing of the season, they had to battle for a win late again on Tuesday.

They ended up with a runner stranded in scoring position in a 4–3 loss at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium.

A signature start by Justin Wrobeleski and a Shohei Ohtani milestone home run weren’t enough against a Rockies team showing plenty of grit in this series.

It has been rare to see the Dodgers lose a lead after the seventh inning this season. It’s happened only four other times in their 60 wins. It’s also a rare sight when the defense commits a blunder.

The eighth inning took a turn when the Rockies scored three unanswered runs on errors by Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland.

“It happens. It’s very uncharacteristic. I’m sure he owned it,” said manager Dave Roberts of Rojas. “This guy is as dependable as they come. It happens. We don’t like it; it doesn’t feel good, but with that player, I give him a lot of grace because he’s very dependable.”

The Dodgers took their lead early in the first with Ohtani’s seventh leadoff home run this season. But like most things he does, Ohtani’s 20th home run was also milestone-worthy. The 2–0 sinker that hung over the plate from Michael Lorenzen resulted in Ohtani’s 300th career homer. He is now one of 18 current Major Leaguers to cross that threshold.

[embed]

In his three seasons as a Dodger, the two-way superstar has hit 129. He’s tied for the most in baseball since the start of 2024. The other slugger is Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.

“It was quite the homer. It was (112) off the bat, low launch angle. It was squared up; it got out in a hurry,” Roberts said. “Three hundred, he got there pretty quickly for us. I just marvel at him every day.”

And with the All-Star Game less than a week away, it’s still up in the air whether Justin Wrobleski will be in Philadelphia for it.

Wrobleski has helped support the starting rotation with Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell being on the injured list. The left-hander put up outstanding numbers in the first half. His 2.69 ERA ranks eighth in the National League, while his 1.02 WHIP ranks third.

[embed]

Wrobleski recorded nine strikeouts in his seven innings against the Rockies on Tuesday, giving him 20 in his last two starts. This was also his ninth start of the season in which he allowed one earned run or less.

This is expected to be Wrobleski’s final start of the first half and also his final push for All-Star consideration as a potential reserve on the NL roster.

“It’s disappointing. You want to be an All-Star; regardless of the year (you’re in), it’s always a big deal. It’s something I wanted to do, and it’s frustrating to not get that nod,” Wrobleski said. “But like I said before, I think it’s just more reason to try and keep getting better.”