DENVER—Shohei Ohtani led off the game with his 21st home run of the season, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 5–3 on Thursday.
Ohtani’s homer was his fourth in five games, and Smith and Freeman each hit his 11th for a 5–0 lead off Ty Blach (3–5) to help the Dodgers take three of four games from the Rockies.
“To jump on those guys early was big,” Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said.
Ohtani is 8 for 18 with two homers, three doubles, and six RBIs in four games as the leadoff hitter, moving up a spot in the order after Mookie Betts broke his left hand when he was hit by a pitch Sunday.
“He’s great everywhere he’s going to hit,” Freeman said. “It doesn’t matter where that guy hits. He’s going to hit.”
Jake Cave had a two-run single when Colorado closed within 5–2 in the sixth. Ryan McMahon hit a 462-foot homer off Alex Vesia to lead off the eighth.
Los Angeles’ Evan Phillips pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 12th save in as many chances, sending the Rockies to their fourth loss in five games.
The Dodgers’ Gavin Stone (8–2) gave up two runs and four hits, all singles, in 5 1/3 innings. He tied a season high with seven strikeouts, all swinging, walked two and hit a batter.
“He’s been nothing but phenomenal for us. the way he has evolved,” Roberts said. “For any starting pitcher, you just kind of evaluate, do they have the weapons ... to be efficient, to command the baseball? Can you navigate three times through the lineup? He’s checked all those boxes for me. He’s only getting better.”
Stone recorded three strikeouts with his mid-90s fastball and two apiece with a curveball and a changeup. He is 7–1 with a 2.18 earned-run average in 10 starts since April 26.
Stone, who made his first Coors Field start, credited Smith’s game behind the plate.
“I feel like you just have to throw your normal stuff and just put it in good spots,“ Stone said. ”It was a good day overall.”
Teoscar Hernández had three hits and scored a run, Freeman had two hits, and Chris Taylor had two hits and two stolen bases. Freeman took some time at first base after reaching on an infield single in the ninth but remained in the game after a visit from Roberts and a member of the training staff.
“That was just the ground moving on me,” Freeman said with a smile. “I gave everything I had in my oxygen tank to beat that ball out. Four games in Denver, a couple of hot ones, I’m OK. Four days in Colorado is a lot.”
Enrique Hernandez handed Freeman an oxygen mask in the clubhouse after the game ended.
McMahon and Cave each had two of the Rockies’ six hits.
Ohtani’s homer to center field just got over the fence and the outstretched glove of Brenton Doyle, who collided with the fence at the 415-foot sign.
Reunion Day
Ohtani will face the Los Angeles Angels in a two-game series at Dodger Stadium beginning Friday, a first since he signed a 10-year, $700 million free-agent deal with the crosstown Dodgers after six seasons with the Angels.Trainer’s Room
Dodgers: Left-hander Clayton Kershaw (offseason shoulder surgery) struck out five in three innings of his first rehab appearance Wednesday for Class A Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. He’s expected to throw four innings in his next rehab game.Up Next
Dodgers: Landon Knack (1–1, 2.61) is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, Okla., to take injured right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s turn in the rotation in Friday’s opener of a two-game series against the Angels. Left-hander Patrick Sandoval (2–8, 5.24) is the Angels’ scheduled starter.Rockies: Right-hander Dakota Hudson (2–9, 4.86) is set to oppose Washington left-hander DJ Herz (1–1, 3.77) in Friday’s opener of a three-game series that will conclude Colorado’s season-long, 10-game homestand.
