For those fans who circled the weekend of June 23-25 on their Colorado Rockies schedule for the return of Shohei Ohtani to Coors Field were not disappointed on Night One.
Ohtani delivered — not literally, as he won’t be pitching during this series for the Los Angeles Angels — and so did the Rockies during their 7-4 comeback win that ended an eight-game losing streak.
“We were due,” manager Bud Black said post-game. “There’s been some opportunities on the road trip to get a big hit and we hadn’t. Hopefully, there’s more to come.”
Down 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Elias Díaz walloped his ninth home run of the year, a lead-flipping grand slam that was the first for Colorado since Sept 10, 2021. Coincidentally, it was Díaz that hit the previous bases loaded dinger 256 games prior.
Elias Díaz has done it.
First #Rockies grand slam in 256 games going back to Sept 10, 2021.
(He hit that one, too.) pic.twitter.com/tRM2bmgPnd
— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) June 24, 2023
Díaz added three hits total to bring his batting average up to .293 and continue his case to make the National League All-Star Team. Coco Montes and Elehuris Montero also notched a trio of base hits on a night where the Rockies logged a total of 15 for the fourth time this year.
Ohtani, the topic of much of the proceedings before and during the game, lived up to the hype with a 3-for-5 performance. He doubled in the first inning against Kyle Freeland before a solo home run, his first at Coors Field, broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth. Freeland, who still felt the effects of a virus that scratched him from his start in Cincinnati earlier in the week, had struck out the Japanese superstar in their only previous matchup during the World Baseball Classic Final in March.
Shohei Ohtani blasts a no-doubt home run over the Bridich Barrier to extend his MLB-leading home run total to 25 HR. pic.twitter.com/CV0sofxTU3
— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) June 24, 2023
“The pitch Ohtani hit is a pitch that there’s only one human being on this planet that has any business swinging at that pitch and that’s him,” Freeland said of the 434-foot home run.
It was the 28-year-old designated hitter’s 25th home run this season, most in all of MLB, and the 200th of his career as a professional dating back to his time in Japan’s NPB. A single in the sixth inning left Ohtani a triple shy of the cycle, one of the few on-the-field accomplishments he has yet to accomplish during his six season in the Majors. (He still has two more chances in the ballpark with 18 cycles to it’s name, more than any other all-time.)
Jun 23, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) watches his ball on a pop fly in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Trout immediately followed with his own solo homer, marking the fourth occasion in 2023 the duo recorded back-to-back home runs and ninth time dating back to 2018, tying a Angels’ franchise mark also held by Trout and Albert Pujols.
“You can’t help but notice the talent and this year, especially how good he’s playing both on the mound and with the bat,” Black said during the pre-game scrum. “He’s leading the majors in home runs and throwing the ball really well. And how unique is that? I think in this day and age to have one player so talented in two different drastically different positions, it’s remarkable. I think everybody can use superlatives to write about it, but we’re witnessing a special player in front of us.”
The bullpen combined for four shutout innings, allowing just two base hits while walking two on seven strikeouts. Peter Lambert struck out Trout looking on a changeup to end the sixth, Daniel Bard had a 12-pitch seventh, and Pierce Johnson got a swinging third strike on Ohtani with two runners aboard in the eighth.
#Rockies snap the 8-game losing streak despite a big night for Shohei Ohtani
-Elias Díaz with the comeback grand slam
-3 hits for Coco, Montero & Díaz
-Lawrence earns 3rd save pic.twitter.com/AxAtOqQaAE— DNVR Rockies (@DNVR_Rockies) June 24, 2023
In the ninth, Justin Lawrence struck out Trout and Hunter Renfroe for his third save during a scoreless ninth that lowered his earned run average to 2.88 on the year.
