For the 10th straight time in Los Angeles, the Colorado Rockies lost to the LA Dodgers as they fell 4-1 on Wednesday. In a game featuring two of Japan’s baseball heroes on the mound, it would be the Dodgers’ unicorn of a player that highlighted the game as Colorado managed just one hit.
Sugano’s shortened start
Making his first career start at Dodger Stadium, Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) had the monumental task of trying to tame the Dodgers’ offense with the eyes of the world upon him.
Things got off to an ominous start in the bottom of the first inning for the veteran righty when Shohei Ohtani (大谷 翔平) belted a lead-off home run, his ninth long ball of the year, on Sugano’s third pitch to give the Dodgers a quick 1-0 lead. It was the third time in MLB history that a pitcher hit a lead-off home run, Ohtani being the only one to accomplish the feat.
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After Andy Pages flew out to right field, Freddie Freeman then laced a ball to left field for an opposite-field home run, his seventh of the year, to put the Dodgers up 2-0. Sugano responded accordingly and retired the next two batters to escape the inning, highlighted by a Max Muncy strikeout.
He then went to work attacking the Dodgers’ lineup. He ended up allowing just four more hits after the two home runs. Pages collected a single in the third inning, but it was the three hits with two outs in the fourth inning that proved costly. Hyeseong Kim laced a single to center field, followed by a double from Will Smith. Alex Call then sent a ball into left field for an RBI single to score Kim, but an excellent throw from Troy Johnston cut down Smith at the plate and ended the inning.
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Sugano then got two quick outs in the top of the fifth, but a throwing error by third baseman Willi Castro allowed Pages to reach, and with the left-handed Freeman coming up to the plate, manager Warren Schaeffer decided to pull Sugano from the game.
He ended up tossing 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He had three strikeouts, including one of Ohtani, and issued just one walk. He threw 83 pitches, 48 for strikes, and induced six groundouts along with three flyouts. He also managed to pick off a batter at first base.
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“Sugano, I thought, gave us a chance to win,” Schaeffer said. “Just a couple of homers in the first inning, but then he settled in.”
“The fastball command wavered a little bit [in the fourth inning], but he was good overall.”
One of One
The Rockies were going to have a tough time against Ohtani at the plate, but he proved just as troublesome on the mound.
Through six innings, Ohtani did not allow a hit while striking out seven batters. His pitches had the signature bite and kept the Rockies off balance, but the oddity of his outing is what was fascinating.
Ohtani battled his command as he allowed a season-high four walks and hit a batter while throwing 56-of-99 pitches for strikes. He found himself working behind hitters often, as the Rockies did put together some quality at-bats despite the lack of production.
The Rockies’ lone run against Ohtani came in the fourth inning after TJ Rumfield drew a leadoff walk — his second of the game — becoming the first hitter to draw two or more walks in a game against Ohtani since Cal Raleigh in 2023. Hunter Goodman was then hit by a pitch, setting up Johnston to bounce into a fielder’s choice and put runners on the corners. Castro then chopped a ball high to second base, where Alex Freeland snagged the ball and dove to first base to get the out, allowing Rumfield to score and make it 2-1 at the time.
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Ohtani exited the game after the sixth inning, securing a quality start and a unique line, as it was the first time in MLB history that a starting pitcher allowed one run on no hits with four walks and seven strikeouts over six innings.
It was also the first time since 1971 that a player hit a home run and threw six no-hit innings.
“Ohtani, we couldn’t find a barrel tonight,” Schaeffer said, “I thought we made him work… gave us chances to score but couldn’t get the knock.”
Bullpen fills in
Thanks to a mostly rested bullpen and the off day on Thursday, Schaeffer felt comfortable lifting Sugano in the fifth inning to bring in Brennan Bernardino to finish that inning. Bernardino then completed a quick 1-2-3 sixth inning to keep the score 3-1 and hand the baton to Antonio Senzatela.
Senzatela easily navigated a leadoff walk in the seventh, getting a couple of groundouts and a lineout but the Dodgers found a way to add on to their lead in the eighth. Pages hit a leadoff home run, his 13th of the year, to make it 4-1. After allowing a single, the Rockies then had to turn to Blas Castaño, who managed to strike out Mookie Betts and then induce a double-play ground ball.
The Dodgers bullpen, on the other hand, kept things rolling for 1.2 innings after Ohtani departed, but thankfully, with two outs in the eighth, Tyler Freeman collected the Rockies’ first hit with a single into right field. However, Kyle Hurt managed to slam the door in the ninth to complete the sweep.
Up Next
The Rockies are off Thursday before welcoming the San Francisco Giants to Coors Field to kick off the homestand. Michael Lorenzen (2-7, 7.21 ERA) will face off against the Giants’ Logan Webb (2-4, 5.06 ERA).
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