Shohei Ohtani and Ichiro Suzuki are the only Japanese-born Major Leaguers to compile 100 Homers and 100 Steals; Yoshinobu Yamamoto returns to winning ways with a 4-1 win over the Rockies

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one run over six solid innings, and Jason Heyward and Will Smith had RBI doubles in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies Saturday night.

Kiké Hernández also drove in a run for the Dodgers, who won four of five after dropping Friday’s series opener in Colorado’s first victory at Dodger Stadium since 2022. Shohei Ohtani stole the 100th base of his Major League career and thus becoming the fourth Japanese-born player. player to reach 100 steals in the majors.

Ezequiel Tovar had three goals for the second night in a row for the Rockies, who lost for only the second time in six games.

Yamamoto (6-2) rebounded impressively from his first loss in ten starts since his Major League debut, limiting the Rockies to seven hits and a walk. He struck out seven while throwing 101 pitches on the season and fought out of foul trouble in his final inning.

“It was good to see him get that last batter with the tying run at the plate,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I thought the fastball was controlled very well tonight. I thought the split was good at times, and the use of the curveball picked up the last few innings. It was good to see him get through the six. It was a very good deal for him.”

Three Dodgers relievers each pitched one scoreless inning. Evan Phillips pitched the ninth and earned his ninth save in his first appearance since returning Friday after a nearly four-week absence with a hamstring injury.

“I’m not going to lie, it was a very frustrating injury,” Phillips said. “It took a lot of extra effort, but I tried to do everything I could to stay in the groove I was in. I was just excited to be there with the team.”

Cal Quantrill (4-4) gave up four runs on nine hits and two walks while failing to get out of the fifth inning of his first loss since April for the Rockies.

Colorado took the lead in the second inning when Brendan Rodgers hit a leadoff double and scored on Brenton Doyle’s sacrifice fly, but Teoscar Hernández singled for Los Angeles in the bottom half and then motored around to score when Colorado made two throwing errors as he tried to take him out afterwards. Gavin Lux’s grounder to first base.

Andy Pages then singled and scored on Heyward’s double into the right-center gap.

“It’s not every day that we get 10 runs on the board,” Hernández said. “But we try to capitalize on everything to make us better. We will have ups and downs, but our starting pitching right now keeps us in the game and gives us a chance to score runs.”

Ohtani walked and stole second base in the third inning – but Quantrill picked him off second base, costing the Dodgers a run as Freddie Freeman singled moments later. Roberts said Ohtani and the Dodgers were trying to take advantage of “a tendency” by Quantrill.

“That’s a calculated risk we took, and I have no problem with it,” Roberts said.

Ohtani and Ichiro Suzuki are the only Japanese-born Major League players to amass 100 home runs and 100 steals.

Pages singled in the fourth and scored on a single by Hernández, who drove in his first run since May 20.

Freeman then tripled to left in the fifth and scored on Smith’s full-count double, chasing Quantrill.

Yamamoto allowed two hits in the sixth, but left both runners in scoring position by letting Elehuris Montero ground out with his final pitch.

“My pitch count was high and I had some runners on base, but I just focused on getting through the inning, that’s all,” Yamamoto said through his interpreter.