It was a memorable evening for Shohei Ohtani and, unfortunately, the Dodgers too.
In a 4-3 defeat against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, the Dodgers initially seemed to have the game in their grasp, taking an early lead thanks to Ohtani’s 300th career home run and a solid contribution from Justin Roblewski in the seventh inning.
However, things unraveled dramatically in the eighth inning.
After two critical defensive errors, the Dodgers let a two-run advantage slip away, unable to recover. This chaos ensued shortly after Robleski exited the game, replaced by Will Klein with one out and two runners on base. When Tyler Freeman approached the plate, Klein’s fastball was grounded right to shortstop Miguel Rojas, who, in for a resting Mookie Betts, needed to make a quick play for a potential double play.
Instead, Rojas miscalculated the bounce, allowing the ball to slip past him.
That made the score 1-0. Two runners remained in scoring positions, and the turmoil was far from over.
Left-handed pitcher Jack Dryer was summoned from the bullpen, leading the Rockies to execute a squeeze play with lefty hitter Jake McCarthy. McCarthy laid down a successful bunt, moving the first runner from third to home. Max Muncy charged in to make the play, and second baseman Alex Freeland delivered a throw that went to McCarthy at first but was poorly directed.
The real drama unfolded off the field. Freeman noticed the third base was open and dashed toward it, while Freeland, in an attempt to throw him out, sent a low throw that Rojas couldn’t handle, allowing the ball to roll into the Dodgers’ dugout.
Freeman essentially scored a home run on that play.
That allowed the Rockies to notch another unearned run, giving them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. In the ninth inning, with two on base and no outs, they were able to stifle the Dodgers’ late-game rally.
What it means
Tuesday should have been all about Ohtani celebrating his milestone with that home run on the game’s third pitch.
Against Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen, Ohtani smacked a 409-foot shot to deep center, hitting his 300th home run and his 20th of the season, making it a special moment indeed.
Playing his 1,101st MLB game, Ohtani reached the 300 mark faster than all but four players before him (Aaron Judge, Ralph Kiner, Ryan Howard, and Juan Gonzalez). He also made history as the first Japanese-born player to achieve this milestone, being only the second—after Babe Ruth—to hit a home run while actively pitching.
One member of the Japanese press humorously noted Ruth’s all-time record of 714, remarking, “414 more to go.”
While it’s doubtful Ohtani will chase that record, he seems primed for even greater achievements. Since joining the Dodgers, he’s consistently notched over 50 hits each season.
Who is hot
As of now, Wrobleski remains off the All-Star roster.
Yet, after pitching seven impressive innings against the Rockies, he’s definitely a contender for a replacement spot.
In that game, he recorded six hits while striking out nine batters, totaling 20 strikeouts over his last two starts following a stretch without any. His effort has lowered his ERA to 2.69, which stands as the eighth-lowest in the National League. This also marked his seventh complete game of seven innings this season, ranking him fifth among pitchers in Major League Baseball.
Who is not?
Given the Dodgers’ defensive struggles we just outlined, let’s shift focus to players who are making a comeback from injuries.
Evan Phillips made his first appearance since Tommy John surgery last June, throwing nine scoreless innings with two strikeouts and reaching nearly 99 mph on his fastball, earning cheers from the crowd after a two-out single.
His performance will be crucial to monitor as the team assesses its bullpen depth and considers reintroducing him as a key relief option.
To the next
The Dodgers and Rockies will wrap up their series on Wednesday, with Roki Sasaki (3-5, 5.40 ERA) aiming to bounce back from his recent slump against Colorado’s Ryan Feltner (3-2, 4.27 ERA).
