Joe Torre Makes Crucial Mistake for Dodgers in Pivotal Series Opener

As the Los Angeles Dodgers were busy squandering away their once lofty NL West lead on the green grass of Coors Field, George Sherrill and Jonathan Broxton sat and watched the drama unfold from beyond the outfield wall. The two late-inning relievers sat all night in the bullpen during a 5-4 extra-inning loss to the second-place Colorado Rockies. This was an inexcusable gaff by manager Joe Torre. There’s no logical reasoning as to why neither Sherrill nor Broxton was used in the crucial series opener. Torre had already seen Ronald Belisario and Hong Chi-Kuo make a quality start from Clayton Kershaw disappear. Kershaw threw six-and-one-third innings, striking out six and allowing only two runs. Belisario and Kuo surrendered one run apiece in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, leading to a 4-2 deficit and the need for a Dodgers’ ninth-inning rally to extend the game into extra frames. After going down quietly in the top of the 10th, James McDonald took the mound ...