Ohtani hits MLB-best 36th HR but Angels routed by Rockies

By: Jill Painter Lopez, The Associated Press Posted: 1:14 AM CDT Wednesday, Jul. 28, 2021 Last Modified: 1:50 AM CDT Wednesday, Jul. 28, 2021

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 36th home run, one of the few highlights for the Los Angeles Angels in a 12-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 36th home run, one of the few highlights for the Los Angeles Angels in a 12-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 36th home run, one of the few highlights for the Los Angeles Angels in a 12-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

Brendan Rodgers and pinch-hitter Sam Hilliard homered to back six effective innings from Austin Gomber as Colorado improved to 11-37 on the road.

Los Angeles trailed 10-0 in the fifth before Ohtani launched a 463-foot drive to center field for a two-run shot. The two-way sensation pitched seven strong innings Monday night and hit an RBI single in a 6-2 win over the Rockies.

Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani hits a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

“Nothing surprises me,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “From the waist down, it’s just a perfect swing and it’s really loud. He finishes so well. That was the longest one I’ve seen in that section. That thing was an absolute accelerated baseball. Nothing surprises. Nothing he’s doing can surprise us.”

Gomber (8-5) allowed two earned runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

“I was not happy,” Gomber said about the mistake to Ohtani. “Regardless of the 10-run lead, I’m not trying to give up any runs. I’m fighting that battle within myself. On the mental side, I’m locked in. I don’t have time to take my foot off the gas. The reaction was, I made a bad pitch.”

The Rockies, who got 16 hits, scored four runs in the fourth to open a 9-0 lead.

Rodgers homered for the second time in two games.

Colorado scored two unearned runs in the first, a tough stretch for Angels starter Jose Suarez (4-4) as Jack Mayfield made consecutive fielding errors at third base.

Suarez also was called for an early balk. He loaded the bases but got out of it with just two runs allowed. The Rockies scored on a fielder’s choice by Charlie Blackmon and another from C.J. Cron for a 2-0 lead.

“We caught a break in the first inning. They made a couple errors,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “And the shortstop made an error on Trevor (Story’s) ball in the third, so they helped us early in the game. From that point on, we had some pretty good at-bats and two-out hits. Some good walks. Some good battles. Early they helped us out, we capitalized and ran the bases hard and beat out some fielder’s choices.”

Rodgers hit his seventh home run leading off the third.

Suarez lasted just 3 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs — four earned — on six hits. Andrew Wantz gave up a three-run homer to Hilliard in the fourth.

David Fletcher had three hits for the Angels, who have lost three of four.

Los Angeles outfielder Adam Eaton pitched a scoreless ninth. It was the second time an Angels position player pitched this season and a career first for Eaton.

WELCOME ABOARD

Rio Ruiz, just recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque after the Rockies released veteran Matt Adams, had a pinch-hit single in the seventh, his first hit in a Colorado uniform.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: Story was OK and back in the lineup after he was hit by a pitch from Ohtani on his left hand Monday night. Story was in audible and visible pain when it happened, but stayed in the game. “It was a great break, really,” Black said. … Cron exited after three innings with a groin injury. Black said he’ll know more about the extent of it Wednesday.

Angels: All-Star 1B Jared Walsh (right oblique) was out of the lineup and scheduled for tests Tuesday, but Maddon wasn’t sure if Walsh would require a stint on the injured list.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (3-6, 6.06 ERA) has one win since May 13. His last two starts came against the Dodgers, and he allowed four earned runs in five innings on Friday.

Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney (6-7, 5.32) is 2-1 with a 3.01 ERA and 18 strikeouts in three career starts against Colorado. He’s thrown a team-high 88 innings this season.

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