Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani grounds out in opposition to Colorado Rockies beginning pitcher Ryan Feltner within the first inning of a baseball recreation Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Denver. (AP Picture/David Zalubowski)
DENVER — Shohei Ohtani went 1 for 4 and fell brief in his bid to turn out to be the Nationwide League’s first Triple Crown winner since 1937, and stole his 59th base to assist the Los Angeles Dodgers rally previous the Colorado Rockies 2-1 on Sunday in Charlie Blackmon’s remaining recreation.
Ohtani completed the common season main the NL in homers (54) and RBIs (130). His .310 common trailed San Diego’s Luis Arráez (.314) within the batting race.
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The constitution member of the 50-50 membership, Ohtani swiped his 59th base in the course of the eighth-inning rally. It may’ve been his sixtieth, however on Saturday evening a balk was referred to as as he was on his strategy to simply stealing a base.
READ: MLB: Shohei Ohtani heads to his first postseason with Dodgers
“I didn’t take into consideration the Triple Crown or how shut I used to be to it at present,” Ohtani stated by a translator. “At present, I used to be targeted on having high quality at-bats.”
The final NL Triple Crown winner was St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Joe Medwick in 1937. Within the AL, Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera received the Triple Crown in 2012.
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It was a season that succeeded even supervisor Dave Roberts’ wildest expectations.
“There have been methods early to get him out – crowding him down beneath, up – however now, his management of the strike zone has simply gone to a different degree,” Roberts stated. “After which the base-stealing, clearly. We’ve by no means seen that sort of effectivity.”
Ohtani completed 59 for 63 on stolen-base makes an attempt, together with 36 in a row with out getting caught. He’s two shy of matching the franchise report by Davey Lopes in 1975.
READ: Shohei Ohtani 50-50 house run ball goes up for public sale
“An important a part of all that is that I used to be capable of play constant the entire yr,” Ohtani stated.
Chris Taylor tied the sport within the eighth together with his first homer since July 7. Perhaps this locked him in: a 12-pitch at-bat within the third that resulted in a stroll.
Quickly after Taylor’s homer, Austin Barnes and Ohtani each singled. Barnes then swiped third as a part of a double steal with Ohtani. Rockies reliever Seth Halvorsen appeared to get his cleat caught within the filth in his supply and stopped. He was referred to as for a balk to carry house Barnes.
Evan Phillips (5-1) earned the win and Edgardo Henriquez closed out the ninth for his first profession save, amongst 14 Dodgers with saves this season.
The Dodgers wound up a serious league-best 98-64, breaking a string of 4 straight full seasons with 100 or extra wins (they went 43-17 in the course of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season). The NL West champions open the Division Collection on Saturday and have home-field benefit all through the postseason.
READ: Ohtani, Betts go back-to-back in ninth, Dodgers rally previous Rockies
Sam Hilliard launched a 476-foot shot into the correct subject third deck to provide the Rockies a 1-0 lead within the second, the fourth-longest within the main leagues this season.
Starter Ryan Feltner scattered two hits over six sturdy innings in a no-decision. Reliever Victor Vodnik (5-4) took the loss.
It was an emotion-filled afternoon for Blackmon, who went 1 or 2 in his 14th and remaining season — all with the Rockies. The participant identified for his bushy beard was lifted for a pinch-runner after his single within the third.
“It was actually cool to finish on successful,” Blackmon stated. “One final time attending to savor it on the way in which out.”
Blackmon was honored in a pregame ceremony and trotted out to middle subject on their lonesome to soak within the applause. He leaves because the franchise’s all-time chief in triples and second behind Corridor of Famer Todd Helton in video games performed and runs scored.
Plan on retaining the beard?
“Good query,” stated Blackmon, who started his profession clear shaven.
Colorado (61-101) has back-to-back 100-loss seasons. The group went 59-103 final season. The Rockies noticed 2,540,195 followers attend video games at Coors Discipline this season. Final yr, the attendance was 2,607,935.
Earlier than the sport, Rockies supervisor Bud Black sidestepped the subject of his expiring contract.
“Thanks for not asking,” Black playfully requested.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: 1B Freddie Freeman continues to obtain therapy on his sore proper ankle. “I noticed video of him strolling. He’s ginger when he’s strolling,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated. Roberts is optimistic of a return for Freeman and SS Miguel Rojas (torn adductor) to begin the playoffs.
UP NEXT:
Dodgers: A number of days off earlier than the NLDS begins Saturday.
Rockies: Open spring coaching at Arizona on Feb. 21.
