Dodgers halt losing streak, beat Rockies in final game of season

Freddie Freeman homered among his three hits, Trea Turner homered and singled, and the host Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 6-1 Wednesday. Cody Bellinger also went deep and Clayton Kershaw (12-3) pitched five innings in his final tune up ahead of the Dodgers' (111-51) postseason. Los Angeles, which finished with the best record in the majors, will open its NL Division Series on Tuesday against the winner of the wild card series between the New York Mets and the San Diego Padres. Kershaw gave up one hit and struck out nine to surpass 2,800 strikeouts for his career. Ezequiel Tovar homered for Colorado (68-94), which had two hits and struck out 17 times. The Rockies finished in last place in the NL West and completed its fourth straight losing season. Tovar connected off of Kershaw with two outs in the second to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. It was the first career home run for Tovar, who made his major league debut on Sept. 23. Freeman tied it up in the third inning when he hit his 21st home run of the season off starter Austin Gomber. It was the only run Gomber allowed in three innings of work. He gave up three hits and struck out four. It stayed that way until the fifth inning when the Dodgers took the lead. With one out, relief pitcher Chad Smith (0-1) walked Joey Gallo and Mookie Betts before giving up a home run to Turner to make it 4-1. It was Turner's 21st homer of the season. Los Angeles added insurance runs in the seventh inning off reliever Noah Davis, who made his major league debut. Bellinger led off with a home run, his 19th, and Miguel Vargas walked with one out. Turner followed with a single to put runners on first and second, and Vargas scored on a single by Freeman. It was Freeman's 100th RBI, the third time he has reached 100 RBIs in a season, and he led the majors with a career-best 199 hits. He finished 2022 with a .325 average, second to Jeff McNeil (.326) of the New York Mets. --Field Level Media