LOS ANGELES -- When it comes to playing against the Rockies, there’s just something in the air for Chris Taylor.

In the series finale on Sunday at Dodger Stadium, Taylor launched his 15th and 16th home runs as the Dodgers beat the Rockies, 3-2. For the first seven innings, Taylor was the Dodgers’ offense.

Throughout the season, the Dodgers have seen the very best of Taylor. Since being traded to Los Angeles in 2016, he’s been one of the team’s top utility players. He has excelled as a shortstop while Corey Seager has sat out with various injuries. He also has been a solid defender in the outfield, a position he had to familiarize himself with when he joined the club.

In 2021, this version of Taylor is an All-Star. He’s on pace to set a new career high in home runs after hitting 21 in '17. And just like in Sunday’s game, he’s been the difference-maker on the field and at the plate.

“He’s invaluable,” Roberts said. “Having your regular players out and for him to step up, play a premium defensive position, have a huge day offensively, take good at-bats. ... We needed every bit. That's why I just think so highly about the person and the player. It led us to a series [win].”

Taylor put Los Angeles on the board in the first inning with a lead-off homer. Jon Gray's 1-2 slider located down and in the middle of the zone landed 375 feet in left-center field and was Taylor’s eighth career lead-off home run.

In the fifth, Taylor mashed his second homer with another shot to left, this time on a 1-1 curveball. Entering Sunday, Taylor was batting .271 in 71 career games against the Rockies, with 29 extra-base hits (13 homers).

“I'm not playing any different. I think we have trust in all nine guys, no matter who's in there. We have good players up and down," Taylor said. "I'm always trying to play my best, it doesn't matter what the lineup is. I'm just trying to get on base, and it's all extra if you're able to drive the ball for [a] slug.”

The fifth-inning homer tied the game at 2, setting the stage for Will Smith to homer in the bottom of the eighth with one out against Carlos Estévez, all but securing the lead with Joe Kelly closing out the game in the ninth. The right-hander, however, tweaked his hamstring during the outing and appeared to be in discomfort after getting the final out. Roberts said postgame the club should know more on Monday.

This wasn’t the first time Smith and Estévez found themselves in that type of situation. On July 18, with the Dodgers down 3-2 in Colorado, Smith blasted a go-ahead homer off Estévez. Though the Dodgers lost the game in extra innings, 6-5, Smith’s power started to reemerge.

“He's just such a smart hitter, when he needs that base hit, to use the other side of the field, he can do that,” Roberts said. “When they make a mistake in the zone, he can elevate. He's a 20, 25-homer guy, for me, with a high on-base [percentage] and he's doing exactly what we'd hoped for.”

Rookie Josiah Gray made his highly anticipated first career start, just five days after he made his Major League debut. The right-hander struck out six over four innings and gave up two earned runs on three hits and four walks. Gray induced 10 swings and misses with his fastball, but he was susceptible to the long ball. Elias Díaz’s home run in the second was the fourth homer Gray has surrendered in eight career innings.

His time at the Major League level has been brief, but the 42nd overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, is confident that he’s made a strong impression on the mound. Gray said he’ll continue to improve, regardless of what his role is.

“I think I’ve shown them I’m going to fill up the strike zone more times than not,” Gray said. “I’m going to continue to eliminate the long ball, that’s something I have to work on. Continue to command my pitches, where they should and [continue] to learn the movement, and finalize and perfect that movement. I think I’ve showed flashes of having the good stuff out there.”

With the win, the Dodgers remain two games behind the first-place Giants in the National League West. The Dodgers will travel to San Francisco to face their divisional rivals on Tuesday in a pivotal three-game series.