Ohtani has 2 hits to close on batting leader Arraez in Triple Crown bid as Dodgers beat Rockies 13-2
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Shohei Ohtani had two hits and raised his average to .310 in his bid to overtake batting leader Luis Arraez and become the National League’s first Triple Crown winner since 1937, helping the playoff-bound Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 13-2 on Saturday night.
Ohtani went 2 for 5 and closed within four points of Arraez, who got a night off from San Diego and is hitting .314 going into the regular season’s final day.
Ohtani leads the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs. The last NL Triple Crown winner was Joe Medwick of the 1937 St. Louis Cardinals. The last to achieve the feat in the major leagues was Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012.
“It’s very unlikely but I would expect Arraez to play tomorrow,” manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani overtaking Arraez. “We’ll see if Shohei can throw out another big day.”
In addition, Ohtani stole his 58th base of a season in which he became the first 50-50 player.
Teoscar Hernández and Kike Hernández each hit three-run homers for Los Angeles, which had 18 hits and has scored at least 11 runs in consecutive games for the first time since July 21-22 last year at Texas. Teoscar Hernández has 99 RBIs.
Teoscar Hernández and Ohtani can reach milestones Sunday.
“Hopefully he can get six hits like in Miami so he can at least compete and battle for the batting title and a Triple Crown,” Hernández said, thinking back to Ohtani’s three-homer, 10-RBIs game on Sept. 19. “For me if I get the opportunity I’m going to try my best, not only for the 100 RBIs but for the run for the team.”
Yoshinobu Yamamato (7-2) allowed two runs and four hits over five innings while striking out six, earning his first win since beating the Rockies on June 1. Yamamoto was making his fourth start after missing three months with a strained rotator cuff.
The Dodgers (97-64) clinched the majors’ best record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason when Philadelphia lost at Washington earlier Saturday.
“That was important for us, and that’s why we played hard,” Hernández said.
Ohtani singled in the first, grounded out in the second, walked and scored in the fifth and singled in the fifth. He flied out in the seventh and grounded out in the ninth.
Kike Hernández, who finished with three hits, hit a 430-foot homer to center in the second inning off of Antonio Senzatela (0-1) for a 4-1 lead. Teoscar Hernández’s career-high 33rd homer in the fifth made it 8-2.
Ezequiel Tovar hit his team-leading 26th home for Colorado (61-100), which reached the century mark in losses for the second straight season.
“It is bothersome, whether it’s loss No. 1, loss No. 50, you don’t like them,” manager Bud Black said. “You’ve got to look at perspective, where we are with our team and where we’re going. That’s the bigger picture throughout all this.”
Charlie Blackmon, who will retire Sunday after 14 years in the majors, all with the Rockies, was 1 for 4 and scored a run.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: OF Kevin Kiermaier dislocated his left ring finger while sliding into second base. The training staff popped the finger back in place, Roberts said, adding “now it’s just sore.” … 1B Freddie Freeman felt “much better,” according to Roberts. Freeman sprained his right ankle in the seventh inning of the NL West Division clincher against San Diego on Thursday night.
Rockies: OF Brenton Doyle was out of the lineup due to right knee tendinitis.
UP NEXT
Dodgers RHP Landon Knack (2-5, 3.74) starts against Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (3-10, 4.66) in Sunday’s regular-season finale.
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