DENVER — It’s the worry that comes with having the game’s most valuable two-way player. Everything Shohei Ohtani does as a pitcher puts his contributions as a hitter in jeopardy.
The Dodgers’ hopes and fears collided briefly Wednesday night. In the midst of his worst pitching start as a Dodger, Ohtani was hit in the side of the right leg by a comebacker during the fourth inning. He stayed in the game, completed the inning on the mound and came out of the game entirely after just one more plate appearance (a walk in the fifth inning).
But the Colorado Rockies had nine hits in Ohtani’s four innings, scored five times against him and the Dodgers never really returned fire, losing 8-3.
The Dodgers arrived at Coors Field on Monday with a chance to pad their lead in the National League West against the team with the worst record in baseball. Instead, they need to win Thursday afternoon just to split the four-game series – and hope that the planned off day for Ohtani is enough to have him back in the lineup for the weekend series in San Diego.
In his first career pitching start at Coors Field, Ohtani was given a display of one of the factors that make the place such a torture chamber for pitchers.
He gave up two runs on three hits in the second inning, none hit particularly hard. Only one ball in the inning was hit harder than 87 mph (a single by Mickey Moniak). But Coors Field comes with more outfield grass for hitters to find than any other MLB park.
In the fourth, it was more of the same. Arcia’s liner off of Ohtani’s leg was the last of five consecutive hits to start the inning. These were hit harder – including the 93.7 mph shot off of Ohtani’s leg.
He persevered through the three-run inning but finished his pitching day with five runs allowed on nine hits – both highs for the Dodgers portion of his pitching career.
The Dodgers’ offense had one of its disconcerting lows, managing just one run on four hits against a Rockies starter with a career ERA of 8.30 coming into the game.
Right-hander Tanner Gordon had accrued that bloated ERA in 16 starts for the Rockies over two seasons. But he mixed a fastball that averaged just 92.5 mph with a slider and changeup that got a combined three swings-and-misses to flummox the Dodgers.
Ohtani led off the game with a double but he didn’t advance and the Dodgers didn’t get another runner to second base until the fifth inning. That didn’t lead to anything either.
The Dodgers’ only run off Gordon came in the sixth inning on a home run by Teoscar Hernandez.
The Rockies added three more runs against the Dodgers’ bullpen. The Dodgers scored two unearned runs in the ninth on a two-out double by Miguel Rojas.
More to come on this story.