Shohei Ohtani reached a significant career milestone on Tuesday, hitting his 300th home run, but the Los Angeles Dodgers' defensive struggles ultimately cost them a victory against the Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers fell 4-3, with their defense responsible for three unearned runs in the eighth inning that erased a late lead.
Ohtani’s historic blast came early in the game, a solo shot in the first inning that marked his 20th home run of the season. This milestone places him among an elite group of players, achieving 300 home runs faster than all but four others in MLB history. He also became the first Japanese-born player to reach this mark and only the second player, alongside Babe Ruth, to do so while also being a pitcher.
For much of the game, the Dodgers appeared in control. Pitcher Justin Wrobleski delivered a strong performance, holding the Rockies to a single run over seven innings while striking out nine batters. His outing lowered his season ERA to 2.69, ranking him eighth-lowest in the National League, and marked his seventh start of at least seven innings pitched this season.
However, the game unraveled in the top of the eighth inning. With two outs and runners on base, a ground ball hit to shortstop Miguel Rojas was mishandled, allowing a run to score. The situation worsened on a subsequent bunt play when third baseman Max Muncy fielded the ball cleanly, but an errant throw from second baseman Alex Freeland to first base — intended to complete a force out — sailed into the Dodgers' dugout. This error allowed the runner from third to score, and the runner who advanced on the throw also reached home plate, giving the Rockies a 4-3 lead.
The Dodgers were unable to mount a comeback in the ninth inning, despite getting runners on base. The loss denied them a chance to clinch the series.
In other team news, pitcher Evan Phillips made his return from Tommy John surgery, pitching a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in his first appearance since June of the previous year. His performance will be monitored as the team assesses its bullpen.