Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas expressed his discontent with two game-changing errors in the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.
With two runners on and just one out, Tyler Freeman hit a hard grounder just to the left of the second base bag. Rojas ranged over to get the ball, but it kicked off of the heel of his glove and into the outfield, allowing the Rockies to snatch a run back to make the score 3-2 in favor of the hosts.
The following play, a sacrifice bunt scored the tying run, and Cole Carrigg tried to advance to third while Rojas stood idly on second. The shortstop ran to third to try to cover, but missed Alex Freeland’s throw, which ended up in the camera bay—allowing Freeman to score to give the Rockies a 4-3 lead.
Colorado held their lead as they snatched the second game of the series from the Dodgers.
“Obviously, the ground ball, I got the opportunity to catch a ball and make the play and get us out of the inning there,” Rojas said. “That’s a physical error, but I’m way more disappointed by the other play when I kind of froze, and I was like all over second base over there, and I shouldn’t be there. I should have been on third base, and we keep the game tied right there, and give us an opportunity to win.
“Physical errors happen, and I’m okay with that. I’m not perfect, and I’m gonna make errors, and physical errors are okay. But mental errors are the ones that are kind of like disappointing. Like, I should have been on third base. I shouldn’t be putting Alex Freeland in the situation of throwing the ball with me on the run there. That’s the one that I kind of like myself for.”
Is Miguel Rojas a Good Defender?
These types of mistakes are extremely rare for Rojas, who is one of the better defenders in MLB.
Rojas ranks in the 89th percentile of MLB with four outs above average, and has a fielding run value of plus-2, ranking above league average despite his limited playing time in a log-jammed Dodgers infield.
MLB only credited Rojas with one error in the game, the first grounder which he missed. It is his only error across more than 300 innings on the field this season.
Rojas only committed four errors last season, and only three the season prior.
The Dodgers will hope Rojas can turn things around in their next game, which is a rubber match against the Rockies on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. PT.
One Response
Yes, he’s partially to be blamed but on the bunt to Muncy, Dreyer should have taken a beeline to cover third. Just like the game before on the play at home, Scott was standing around the mound instead of of backing up the play with a trailing runner on the move. Luckily Rush made the catch and tag. But it’s all the little things with lack of focus can cost games that should’ve been won. Bringing in runners with bases hits instead of always going for dingers, and playing with intensity regardless of competition even with a big lead in the standings. A championship team needs to play like champions or bad habits will occur and look like the Yankees.