Mookie Betts and Walker Buehler were enough for the Dodgers to continue their dominance over the Rockies, though late tack-on runs removed any doubt.

Betts hit three doubles and homered, and Buehler threw seven sharp innings as Los Angeles won 9-2 on Saturday night and improved to 8-1 this season against Colorado.

The Rockies are 8-30 against their NL West rival over the past three seasons. Los Angeles has won eight straight in the series since falling in Denver on opening day.

A sellout crowd of more than 48,000 watched the game at Coors Field, which included a quality start from Kyle Freeland that would have been a lot better if not for Betts.

At one point the Dodgers 2-through-9 hitters were 1-for-16 against Freeland, but Betts was 3-for-3. The former AL MVP scored all three runs against Freeland – twice coming home on singles from Max Muncy, who later homered against relievers Carlos Estevez and Zac Rosscup, and drove in five runs.

“He’s a high-caliber player for a reason, he’s paid a lot of money for a reason, he’s one of the best players in the game for a reason,” Freeland said of Betts.

Freeland (1-4) departed after six innings and 76 pitches, because of a flareup of recurring blister problems. He called the decision to remove him the right one, describing the blister as “getting hot,” and speculating that leaving him in could have led to a “much different situation.”

The lefty gave up three runs and six hits while striking out four with no walks.

One of those hits came on an Albert Pujols single that dropped as a result of miscommunication between Rockies center fielder Garrett Hampson and right fielder Charlie Blackmon. The two also collided on one of Betts’ doubles. Neither play led to a run being scored.

Acting Rockies manager Mike Redmond noted the large crowd as a possible factor in the communication between the outfielders.

“Those were balls that typically are caught,” Redmond said.

Once Freeland was out of the game the floodgates opened, with the Dodgers scoring six runs in three innings against Rockies relievers to blow open a 3-2 game. Three of the runs were charged to Tyler Kinley.

Buehler retired the final 13 batters he faced. He gave up two runs, four hits and two walks while striking out eight. The Rockies’ runs against Buehler (10-1) came on a Freeland sacrifice fly and a Ryan McMahon double.

For the second consecutive game since returning from the All-Star Break the Rockies were without four players – Antonio Senzatela, Yonathan Daza, Jhoulys Chacin and Yency Almonte – and manager Bud Black because of COVID-19 protocols.

Adding to those issues, Raimel Tapia was a late lineup scratch (non-COVID illness).

Betts left the game in the seventh inning after going 4-for-4 for Los Angeles. The team said he had soreness in his right hip after the double that briefly landed in Hampson’s glove before a collision with Blackmon popped it loose. Betts jogged slowly into second base on the play and quickly exited the field.

A.J. Pollock hit his 13th home run of the season against Mychal Givens in the seventh. It was Pollock’s Major League-leading seventh home run in July.