DENVER -- Prior to Wednesday’s game against the Rockies, Shohei Ohtani had only taken the mound at hitter-friendly Coors Field once before -- during the 2021 All-Star Game, when he started for the American League and pitched a scoreless inning.
While Coors has proven time and again to be a venue in which anything can and does happen, Ohtani hoped his first regular-season appearance on the mound there would go smoothly, too.
But it was anything but smooth -- Ohtani gave up five runs on a career-high-tying nine hits over four innings in the Dodgers’ 8-3 loss. Adding injury to insult, he was hit on the side of his upper right leg by a 93.7 mph comebacker off the bat of Orlando Arcia in the fourth.
Although Ohtani stayed in the game after being checked on by manager Dave Roberts and the training staff, he was replaced in the lineup by pinch-hitter Alex Call to open the eighth inning with the Dodgers trailing, 6-1. In three trips to the plate on the night, Ohtani was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk.
Roberts said after the game that Ohtani had a right thigh contusion and that he didn't think imaging would be necessary. Roberts said he’s “hopeful” Ohtani will be back in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Padres at Petco Park following a scheduled day off in Thursday's series finale vs. Colorado.
“That’s my intention,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, “is to make sure I get my treatment, and the goal is to make sure that I’m back to normal again. … I got hit in the same spot, hit by a pitch [earlier this season]. Right now, it feels pretty good. I'm going to do everything in my ability to make sure that it doesn't affect me moving forward."
“It was getting stiff and there was some swelling in there,” Roberts said of why he removed Ohtani in the eighth. “It was in the thigh, fortunately, and not off the knee. But it got him square. … I felt as the game was going to go on, it was going to stiffen up more.”
Before his rough outing Wednesday, Ohtani had only surrendered nine hits in a game once in his MLB career, against the Astros while he was with the Angels back on Sept. 10, 2021.
Ohtani said that he knew things would be different in the altitude of Denver, but that he doesn’t feel it should have led to the poor results on Wednesday.
“Very regrettable,” he said. “I put the team in a bad spot. It was just a very regrettable outing. I wish I could have done better. … I was aware in my bullpen session that the ball doesn't move quite as much as it does at normal sea level. But again, that's not an excuse.”
Ohtani struggled, but he was far from the only one. For the second time in three days, the Dodgers’ lineup went cold in a loss to the club with MLB’s worst record as they try to hold off the Padres, whom they swept over the weekend but are leading by just a game in the National League West after San Diego’s win over the Giants on Wednesday.
In the series opener Monday night, Los Angeles went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position in a 4-3 walk-off loss. The lineup bounced back in a big way on Tuesday, seemingly relegating Monday’s stunner to a blip on the radar.
But Dodgers hitters reverted back on Wednesday, unable to solve Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon, who entered the game with a 7.98 ERA. The only offense for Los Angeles prior to the ninth inning was a solo homer by Teoscar Hernández in the sixth.
“I don’t know the answer,” Roberts said. “This was baffling in the sense of the guys that we have, that we’re running out there, just to see the inconsistencies. We’re trying to figure it out. This has got to be one that we just really wash away.”
With the West remaining wild and another showdown against San Diego in the offing, Thursday’s series finale in Colorado becomes much more critical than the Dodgers hoped it would be.
“I’m very grateful we have a day game tomorrow,” Roberts said. “… I guess right now as I’m sitting here, there’s nothing I can do to change it. We’ve got to win tomorrow. But when you look back, it certainly leaves a sour taste in your mouth.”