Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani gestures toward the bullpen as he circles the bases after hitting a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Anthony Molina in the sixth inning of a game Friday in Denver.
13:05 JST, September 28, 2024
DENVER (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his 54th home run of the season, a towering three-run shot, after stealing his 57th base earlier in the game to lead the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers past the Colorado 11-4 on Friday Rockies drove night.
The Dodgers designed hitter finished 4 of 5, including a pair of singles and a double, and drove in four runs. He now has 24 hits over his last 34 at-bats.
Ohtani is making a serious bid for a Triple Crown, leading the NL in home runs (54) and RBIs (130). He raised his average to .309, trailing only Luis Arráez (.312 entering Friday) in the batting title race.
With his fly to second base in the second inning, Ohtani passed Ichiro Suzuki for the most stolen bases in a single season by a Japanese-born player. Ohtani wore spikes with an image of his dog, Decoy.
Ohtani’s three-run blast in the sixth inning landed in the second deck at Coors Field. There was no mistaking it at the crack of the bat, with the sold-out crowd immediately erupting, an early show before the post-match fireworks display.
His total bases of 408 this season are the second-most in franchise history. Babe Herman set the record of 416 in 1930.
Teoscar Hernández got things started for Los Angeles with a two-run homer in the first inning. Andy Pages also homered for the Dodgers, who arrived in town Thursday after capturing their third straight division title. The Dodgers moved two games higher than the Philadelphia Phillies for the top seed in the NL.
Ben Casparius (2-0) got the win for Los Angeles with 4 1/3 innings in a game in which the Dodgers started reliever Ryan Brasier.
Cal Quantrill (8-11) struggled against the Dodgers’ high-powered lineup, allowing six runs and two home runs in 3 1/3 innings.
The Rockies have now lost 99 games this season. At 61-99, they need to win their last two games to avoid back-to-back 100-loss seasons.
It was a happy coincidence that the bag at second base had to be replaced when Charlie Blackmon came to the plate in the first inning. The switch allowed his walk-up song “Your Love” by The Outfield to play a little longer. The designated hitter/outfielder, known for his bushy beard, announced Monday that he is retiring after 14 seasons, all with the Rockies.
The organization will honor him before Sunday’s season finale. Blackmon had a single and two walks on Friday.
