Sunday afternoon, the Rockies’ veteran left-hander stood on the mound at Coors Field and tipped his cap to the fans serenading him with cheers and applause. Freeland, 33, had just pitched 1,313 1/3 major league innings, all in a Rockies uniform, surpassing Aaron Cook (1,312 1/3) for the franchise record.

“At that moment, when they put it up on the scoreboard, I actually thought of Buddy Black,” Freeland said, referring to the former Rockies manager who guided Freeland through the first eight-plus seasons of his career. “Because he was the one who would tell me, ‘Hey, make sure you tip your cap to the crowd. … So I thought of him at that moment, and I found my family and tipped my cap to them as well.”

Rockies trading Antonio Senzatela looks like sure thing; Paul DePodesta faces other big decisions | Journal

The moment came in the fifth inning when Freeland got Milwaukee third baseman Luis Rengifo to fly out to deep center field. It was the highlight of another ugly day for the Rockies, who lost 12-4 as the Brewers polished off a three-game sweep.

Colorado, 24-42 and on pace to lose 103 games, fell 18 games below .500 for the first time this season. The Rockies, blasted for 17 hits, including 10 extra-base hits, have lost 15 of their last 21 games at home.

Freeland, a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and Colorado's first-round pick in 2014 out of Evansville (eighth overall), watched Cook while growing up. Cook pitched for the Rockies from 2002-11.

"To be able to be the all-time leader in innings pitched, as a Rockie, from Denver, and to be able to surpass him for this record ... is pretty incredible," Freeland said.

Manager Warren Schaeffer made it clear how much he admires Freeland.

"It was very special," he said. "What a long career he's had. To set a franchise record like that, its takes a lot of durability, a lot of resilience, and a lot of success.

"Hats off to Kyle Freeland. That's a huge milestone and a special moment."

But it's been a rough season for Freeland, who had a bit of a bounce-back game Sunday, pitching five-plus innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, walking to and striking out 1. He trimmed his ERA from 8.06 to 7.81, but knows he needs to pitch better.

"I was in a better spot (today), with everything when it comes to pitching and mechanics and stuff," he said. "I definitely feel like I'm moving forward, getting better through bullpens and outings, and everything like that.

"It's steps forward right now. Obviously, there are multiple things in this outing that need to be cleaned up. From my standpoint, they aren't up to standard for me, but moving forward, I'm trying to get better and trying to do everything I can to leave the team in a place to win a ball game."

Freeland departed with no outs in the sixth after giving up a leadoff single to William Contreras and an RBI triple to Andrew Vaughn. The Brewers proceeded to blow up the game against reliever Jaden Hill, who served up a two-run homer to Gary Sanchez and ended up giving up five runs on four hits and two walks in one-third of an inning.

"Jaden just had a hard time landing his off-speed (pitches) for strikes today," Schaeffer said. "The command just wasn't there. They took advantage of it and hit his heater."

Colorado's other highlight of the day was Hunter Goodman's solo home run to center in the ninth. He has 17 home runs, tying his own record for the most home runs by a Rockies catcher before the All-Star Game. Goodman had 17 homers before the All-Star break last season.

Pitching probables

Monday: Off day
Tuesday: Cubs TBD at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (5-4, 3.98), 6:40 p.m.
Wednesday: Cubs TBD at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-8, 8.01), 6:40 p.m.
Thursday: Cubs TBD at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (2-1, 4.22), 1:10 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

In his first three years in the majors — 237 games — the Rockies slugger stole a whopping three bases. In his time playing Triple-A minor league ball, he stole one. Two years of Double-A? One. High-A? One.

There was nothing to see here. Nobody was lamenting his lack of audacity on the base paths. Catchers can’t run, after all.

But Goodman can, he remembered recently. An All-Star in 2025 for his bat, he made noise with his legs last week, suddenly swiping two bags in as many games Wednesday and Friday. Somehow, that was the statistic that stuck out the most from a week in which he also clubbed three homers and drove in six runs. It was all part of a Rockies initiative that dates back to spring training — a common edict for losing teams looking for an edge.

“I move pretty well for a catcher, and one of the big things we’re trying to change is kind of creating some chaos on the base paths,” Goodman told The Denver Post before a 7-1 loss to the Brewers on Saturday. “Running a little better. Taking extra bases when we have the chance. So I think I run pretty well, and I think there’s opportunities out there for me to gain an extra base for the team. … I’m not gonna steal a base every game, but when there’s the opportunity, when a pitcher’s slow or when they’re not really paying attention, I feel like I have the ability to at least take advantage of that.”

Goodman aims to be a cunning thief. His sprint speed “could be better, could be worse,” he’ll readily admit. But he studies enough film of opposing pitchers — and inherently understands their cadences because of his own position — to feel confident picking his spots.

“I think it’s just watching video, seeing which guys are, I guess ‘gettable,’ you could say, for me and my speed,” the 26-year-old said. “I think it’s different for each guy, which guys you can swipe a bag on and which guys you kind of just stay at first and get a good secondary (lead). So I’m doing a little better job seeing that and realizing I don’t have to just stand at first on this guy.”

His latest heist was especially daring, at challenge used to one of the best catchers in the game at eliminating runners. The throw from Milwaukee’s William Contreras beat Goodman, but he evaded the tag and made it in safely with a smooth swim move.

“That the only chance I had,” Goodman said, “so I figured I’d just try it.”

It was his fifth stolen base in 58 games this season, one away from tripling the career total he brought into 2026.

It’ll never be his defining skill, but the Rockies want him to keep up the aggressive mindset. He’s realizing he can tap into a forgotten knack for running the bases freely that he possessed back in college, when he amassed 11 steals at Memphis in 2019 and nine more in 2021. He got away from that after entering the pros.

“Probably just me not focusing on it a ton and not really feeling comfortable doing it,” Goodman said. “But the more you do it, the more you get comfortable with it, and the better you get at it.

“I stole a decent amount in college. … So I think it’s great. I think getting to second is a big deal, especially in a ballpark like (Coors Field) where there are a lot of hits out there — getting to second base, giving that next guy an opportunity to get a single and drive in a run, versus having to put one in the gap.”

Goodman could be bound for a second consecutive All-Star Game next month. He ranked fourth in the National League with 16 home runs as of Saturday, on pace for another 30-homer season. He forced extra innings with a solid piece of situational hitting Friday, a ninth-inning RBI sacrifice fly. He’s 13th in the NL in slugging (.514) despite a downtick in average and on-base percentage from last year.

To some extent, that’s the cost of being one of the most aggressive swingers in Colorado’s lineup. He’s working on maintaining control of that aggression, on harnessing it for good.

Meanwhile, he’s also trying to apply the same trait on the base paths.

“We want that to be a big part of our identity,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “… Our three catchers can all run, which is abnormal. And we need to take advantage of that. Goody’s been doing a really good job of doing that.”

To bunt or not to bunt

Colorado’s home stand began with a thriller Friday night that tested Schaeffer’s philosophy in a situation that will come up often in the future. In the ninth and 10th innings of an eventual 9-7 loss, the Rockies had runners at first and second base with nobody out and a two-run deficit. Both times, they elected not to try moving the runners over with a bunt.

“Every situation is different,” Schaeffer said Saturday. “My natural inclination as a manager always — almost always — is to bunt.”

But these were not “natural” scenarios, from Schaeffer’s perspective. Down 5-3 in the ninth, he chose to swing away because the batter was Jake McCarthy — “arguably our hottest hitter right now,” the manager said. “There’s a lot of grass out there in the outfield. And it’s a great chance to score multiple runs with him up. And you hate to bunt with your best hitter at the moment.”

In the 10th, Colorado cut a 9-5 deficit in half before Milwaukee could record an out. The tying runners were on base. The batter was Brett Sullivan this time.

“An obvious candidate to bunt, no doubt about it,” Schaeffer acknowledged in hindsight. “But the situation for me dictated, (Brewers reliever Aaron) Ashby was having a very, very difficult time throwing strikes. And to give up an out (by bunting) when that’s occurring, I’m not crazy about it. Especially when you have a chance to win the game. If you bunt there, you’re basically saying, ‘We’re trying to tie the game here.’ I thought it was a great opportunity for us to try to win the game. Sully’s been good against left-handed pitching as well.”

So the Rockies took their chances. Sullivan grounded into a double play. Their rally stalled out.

“Obviously, the worst thing possible happened,” Schaeffer said. “Sometimes that happens. But the process of thinking about it was correct, I think.”

But the fireworks didn’t begin until after sundown when the Brewers scored four runs in the ninth inning and four more in the 10th to shock Colorado, 9-7.

“There was some good and some bad, for sure,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “The boys kept fighting all the way to the end. They were dealing with a ton of adversity late in the game.

“It’s no secret that we have to take care of the baseball, and walks kill you, especially late in the game. We just have to tighten it up towards the end of the game. That’s all.”

Jake Bauers’ two-run double off struggling Colorado reliever Juan Mejia (6.67 ERA) was the big blow of the 10th inning, in which Rockies pitchers walked three. The Brewers won for the first time this season when trailing after eight innings. They are now 1-17 in those situations.

But give Colorado credit for getting up off the mat. Sterlin Thompson’s broken-bat, two-run single to center cut Milwaukee’s lead to 9-7, but Edouard Julien grounded into a double play and Aaron Ashby struck out Jake McCarthy to clinch the game.

Colorado seemed to have the game well in hand, especially when closer Antonio Senzatela took his 1.30 ERA on the mound in the eighth and ninth. But Senzatela melted down in the ninth and committed a critical error as the Brewers rallied for four runs to take a 5-3 lead.

Brice Turang led off the ninth with a single, though it looked harmless enough when William Contreras grounded back to the mound for a likely double play. Except that Senzatela short-hopped the ball into center field. The Brewers’ rally was on.

An RBI single by Bauers, an RBI double by Sal Frelick, and a two-run single by Andrew Vaughn compounded Senzatela’s error and put Milwaukee ahead, 5-3.

Asked if he thought Senzatela “double-clutched” on his errant throw to second base, Schaeffer answered, “That’s very un-Senza like. I think he just threw it (badly) and made an error. That’s very unlike him.”

Asked if he thought Senzatela “got flustered” after committing the error, the manager said, “Does it affect him after that? I would say no. Senza is one of the most level-headed people I have ever met in my life. So, no, he turns the page very well.”

Colorado sent the game into extra innings with two runs in the bottom of the frame when Chad Stevens drew a bases-loaded walk off of Trevor Megill and Hunter Goodman hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field.

Before the late-night craziness turned scorecards into a Rorschach test, Feltner pitched six innings of one-hit, one-run ball in what looked like it would be a quick, easy victory for Colorado. The slider continues to be Feltner’s best pitch.

“The slider has been working the last two starts, and I feel like I can go to it pretty often. … It’s definitely one of my go-to pitches, and it was on tonight,” said Feltner, who has a 0.75 ERA in his two starts since being reinstated from the injured list, where he was rehabbing a sore elbow for much of the spring.

Feltner got better as the game went along. He opened by plunking leadoff hitter Christian Yelich, but no harm came of it. Bauers led off Milwaukee’s second inning with a double, and Feltner walked two and needed 37 pitches to escape the inning. But Feltner limited the damage to an RBI groundout by Luis Rengifo and got out of big trouble by striking out Yelich on a wicked changeup with two men on.

“I thought Ryan attacked the zone very well with all of his stuff,” Schaeffer said. “In the second inning, he got into some trouble and lost his command a little bit and was about one hitter away from being removed from the game. But he came back and started pounding the zone and made a good adjustment.”

Feltner, who retired the last 13 batters he faced, walked two and struck out four. He threw 81 pitches, 51 for strikes.

Colorado backed up Feltner with timely hits early, the biggest a 411-foot home run to left by  Goodman in the third. It was Goodman’s 16th homer, and he’s gone yard in three of his last four games.

McCarthy, leading off, sparked Colorado to a 1-0 lead in the first, smacking a double off Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Sproat. McCarthy stole third and scored on Tyler Freeman’s groundout to second.

Ezequiel Tovar’s leadoff double and Edouard Julien’s RBI single to left put the Rockies ahead, 3-1, in the third.

Pitching probables

Saturday: Brewers RHP Jacob Misiorowski (6-2, 1.65 ERA) at Rockies TBA, 7:10 p.m.
Sunday: Brewers LHP Shane Drohan (2-1, 2.87) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 8.06), 1:10 p.m.
Monday: Off day

Weaver, the fiery Hall of Fame manager, famously said, “Momentum? Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher.”

Wednesday night, the Angels teed off on Lorenzen, the Rockies’ struggling right-hander, and cruised to an 11-4 win in Anaheim.

Lorenzen, who departed after 3 1/3 innings, was charged with eight runs on 10 hits, and his ERA soared from 7.22 to 8.01. Momentum killed.

The Rockies, winners of four of five coming into the game, not only got clobbered, but they failed to capture a rare sweep. But they did win their second consecutive series for the first time this season.

Key moments: Los Angeles sent 10 men to the plate in the second inning, scoring six runs on six hits, a walk, and a wild pitch by Lorenzen. After two innings, Lorenzen had already thrown 61 pitches.

The Angels sent Lorenzen packing in the fourth with a two-run homer by Vaughn Grissom.

Who’s hot: Tyler Freeman, who started in right field, went 2 for 4 and hit a two-run homer in the fifth off right-handed starter Walbert Ureña.

Troy Johnston, who started at first base, got the Rockies on the board in the fourth with an RBI single to drive in Hunter Goodman. Johnston also singled home TJ Rumfield in the eighth off right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn. Johnston has been incredibly productive with runners in scoring position, hitting .431 (22 for 51).

Rookie left fielder Sterlin Thompson made a leaping catch against the wall in the fifth to rob Mike Trout of a home run.

Who’s not: Lorenzen, obviously, whose 8.01 ERA is the highest in the majors among starting pitchers with at least 10 starts, and whose .364 batting average against is also the highest. Lorenzen has a 1.99 WHIP.

Third baseman Kyle Karros, who’s been heating up lately, took a step back, hitting 0 for 4 with a strikeout. His average sits at .218.

Worth noting: Included in the Angels’ 16-hit night was a 4-for-5 night by Wade Meckler and a 4-for-5 night by Nick Madrigal.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Off day
Friday: Brewers RHP Brandon Sproat (1-4, 6.24 ERA) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (2-1, 4.85), 6:40 p.m.
Saturday: Brewers RHP Jacob Misiorowski (6-2, 1.65) at Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (0-1, 6.37), 7:10 p.m.
Sunday: Brewers LHP Shane Drohan (2-1, 2.87) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 8.06), 1:10 p.m.
Monday: Off day
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Here’s how: In the fourth inning of the Rockies’ 8-2 win over the Angels on Tuesday night, TJ Rumfield hit a 97.1 mph line drive to right center. Angels right fielder Jo Adell caught up to the ball, but it glanced off his glove, ricocheted off his forehead, and went over the yellow line for a home run. Adell’s header gave Rumfield his eighth homer of the season.

It was reminiscent of the moment Canseco used his noggin on May 26, 1993. In that game, Cleveland’s Carlos Martinez hit a high flyball to right field at old Municipal Stadium. Canseco, playing for the Rangers, whiffed on the catch, and the ball bounced off the top of his head for a homer.

Rumfield’s homer was one of three the Rockies launched Tuesday night. Hunter Goodman led off the second with a blast to left, his 15th homer of the season (11th on the road). In Colorado’s five-run fifth, Willi Castro mashed a 433-foot, three-run homer to right. Rumfield immediately followed up with his head-aided homer.

Starter Tomoyuki Sugano set the tone for the Rockies’ win, pitching five strong innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking two, and striking out five. The veteran right-hander, Colorado’s most consistent starter, improved to 5-4 and trimmed his ERA to 3.98.

Key moments: Colorado sent nine hitters to the plate in the fourth inning, but all of its runs came with two outs. The onslaught began with three consecutive singles by Kyle Karros, Edouard Julien, and Jake McCarthy, and then came to homers by Castro and Rumfield.

Who’s hot: Leadoff hitter Jake McCarthy, who added a double in the sixth to go with his RBI single in the fourth. McCarthy has hit .327 (37 for 113) with eight doubles, two triples, four home runs, 23 RBIs, and five steals over his last 34 games.

Who’s not: Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar went 0 for 4 with a strikeout a night after he went 0 for 5 and struck out five times. Tovar drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right field in the second. Tovar is hitting .212 with a .583 OPS.

Worth noting: By taking the first two games of the series at Angel Stadium, Colorado clinched its second series in a row. The Rockies won back-to-back series for the first time since Aug. 11-17, 2025, when they took two of three at St. Louis and three of four vs. Arizona.

Pitching probables

Wednesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-7, 7.22 ERA) at Angels RHP Walbert Urena (2-4, 2.44), 7:38 p.m.
Thursday: Off day
Friday: Brewers RHP Jacob Misiorowski (6-2, 1.65) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (2-1), 4.85, 6:40 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

The Rockies scored five runs in the eighth, powered by Hunter Goodman’s three-run homer, and scored the winning run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by TJ Rumfield to beat the Angels 9-8.

The victory marked the first time since July 16, 2016, at Atlanta’s Turner Field that the Rockies won a road game when trailing by three runs entering the eighth inning.

Monday night’s game was a sloppy affair. Colorado committed four errors, and Los Angeles pitchers issued 10 walks — including seven by starter Jose Soriano. Soriano also hit two batters.

Key moments: Colorado scored the go-ahead run in the ninth, combining a one-out single by Kyle Karros, a double by Jake McCarthy (2 for 4, a solo homer, two walks), and Rumfield’s sacrifice fly.

Colorado’s five-run eighth included back-to-back doubles by Sterlin Thompson and Kyle Karros to open the inning, and an RBI single by Tyler Freeman. But Goodman’s three-run blast off right-hander Jose Fermin was the game-saving at-bat.

Goodman has hit 14 homers, with 10 coming on the road, where he’s hitting .265. At Coors Field, he’s hit just four homers with a .204 average.

Who’s hot: Thompson and Karros both hit 2 for 4 from the bottom of the order. Karros is coming off a homestand in which he hit .375 (3 for 8) with a double and a home run.

Who’s not: Left-hander Kyle Freeland, who got the start and gave up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Freeland, who has an 8.06 ERA over 10 starts, pitched better than he has of late, but the Angels tagged him for five hits in their five-run third, including a grand slam by Jose Siri.

Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who hit two home runs on Friday against the Giants, including his first career walk-off home run, had a rough night on Monday, striking out five times in five at-bats.

Worth noting: Welinton Herrera’s rookie season is over. The lefty reliever has suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and will require Tommy John surgery. Herrera pitched only  2 1/3 innings this season. Colorado No. 14 prospect (MLB Pipeline) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday with elbow inflammation, but an MRI revealed a tear. He’s now on the 60-day IL.

Rockies manager Warren Schaefer told MLB.com on Monday that there is no timeline regarding surgery or recovery time for Herrera.

Pitching probables

Tuesday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (4-4, 4.01 ERA) at Angels RHP Grayson Rodriguez (2-1, 7.53), 7:38 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-7, 7.22) at Angels RHP Walbert Urena (2-4, 2.44), 7:38 p.m.
Thursday: Off day
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Coming back from an elbow injury and making his first big-league start since April 23, the right-hander celebrated by pitching six crisp, efficient innings in Colorado’s 8-3 win over the Giants at Coors Field. Feltner allowed no runs, just four hits, struck out two, and walked none.  He needed just 63 pitches, throwing 41 for strikes.

“I felt great and felt like all of my pitches were working,” said Feltner, who became the first Rockies starter to pitch six scoreless innings with no walks since lefty Kyle Freeland on Sept. 5 of last season vs. San Diego.

“I was really happy about the efficiency part of the game,” Feltner added. “It’s always important to go deep into a game here (at Coors).”

Manager Warren Schaeffer said there was never any thought about pushing Feltner past six innings after Feltner made just two minor league rehab starts.

“There was no reason to push him into the seventh; he did his job,”  Schaeffer said. “His fastball command was exceptional, his slider was good and he got double-play balls early when he needed to. I just thought he controlled his game very well.

“He controlled his emotions, he was in attack mode, and like we talked about before the game, when he does that, he’s pretty dang good.”

The Rockies, who beat San Francisco 8-6 on Friday night on a walk-off homer by Ezequiel Tovar, clinched their first series win since sweeping the Mets from April 24-29 in New York.

Feltner got plenty of support.

The Rockies have had a nasty habit this season of scoring early only to see the offense go into hibernation. That wasn’t the case on Saturday. The Rockies kept piling on and taking away any chance for late-game drama in LoDo.

“When a guy goes out there and grinds away, like Feltner did, you want to reward them with run,” said center fielder Jake McCarthy, who had a big night from the leadoff spot, going 3 for 4 with a walk and driving in four runs.

McCarthy’s 427-foot two-run homer in the fourth off Giants right-hander Adrian Houser gave Colorado a 4-0 lead. McCarthy added an RBI single in the fifth and another in Colorado’s three-run seventh. He also recorded his club-leading 10th stolen base and reached base four times for the eighth time in his career.

“I haven’t been patient the last week, I had a lot of pretty bad at-bats” he said. “But I think it’s just about getting good pitches to hit.  … Getting into good counts, seeing pitches and taking pitcher’s pitches you can make it easier on yourself. I think I did a good job of that tonight.”

Also in the seventh, Kyle Karros came off the bench to whistle a leadoff homer to right off Ryan Borucki. It was Karros’ third homer of the season, fourth of his young career, and the first pinch-hit home run of his career. It was also his first home run against a team other than the Dodgers — his father, Eric’s, former team.

“That was becoming a thing, so it’s nice to put that narrative to rest,” Karros joked. “I think I saw somewhere where it said, ‘Are the Dodgers just feeling Karros meatballs?’ That’s certainly not the case.”

The Rockies provided an early comfort zone for Feltner by scoring two runs in the first inning. McCarthy and Hunter Goodman drew walks off Houser, Willi Castro delivered an RBI single, and Sterling Thompson took one for the team, getting plunked by Houser with the bases loaded.

Castro hit  2 for 5, recording a multi-hit game for the fifth time in his last six starts.

San Francisco spoiled a rare Rockies shutout with a two-run homer in the eighth by Drew Gilbert off reliever Blas Castano.

The Rockies (22-37) will play for their third series sweep of the season on Sunday afternoon at Coors. Should the Rockies win, they will move out of the National League West cellar and the Giants (22-36) would fall into last place.

Pitching probables

Sunday: Giants LHP Robbie Ray (3-6, 4.60 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (0-0, 5.85), 1:10 p.m.
Monday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 8.08) at Angels RHP Jose Soriano (6-4, 2.65), 7:38 p.m.
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (4-4, 4.01) at Angels RHP Grayson Rodriguez (2-1, 7.53), 7:38 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-7, 7.22) at Angels RHP Walbert Urena (2-4, 2.44), 7:38 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

The right-fielder punched a single to right field with two outs in the eighth inning off lefty Tanner Scott to bust up the Dodgers’ combined no-hitter on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. But Freeman couldn’t save the Rockies from a 4-1 loss at the hands of Shohei Ohtani.

The Dodgers’ super-duper superstar put on an incredible show. Not only did he pitch six no-hit innings, but he also led off the Dodgers’ first inning with a 424 homer run to center off of fellow Japanese native Tomoyuki Sugano.

Ohtani became the first pitcher to hit a home run and allow no hits through the first six innings since the Cubs’ Jake Arrieta on Sept. 27, 2015.

The Dodgers, who outscored Colorado 24-10 in a three-game sweep, have beaten the Rockies 10 straight times in Los Angeles.

Key moments: The first inning decided the game. After Ohtani’s leadoff homer, Freddie Freeman hit a one-out homer to left-center off Sugano to make it 2-0.

Colorado scored its lone run off Ohtani in the fourth. TJ Rumfield drew a walk, Ohtani plunked Hunter Goodman, Troy Johnston’s fielder’s choice groundout moved Rumfield to third, and Willi Castro’s groundout scored Rumfield.

Who’s hot: Ohtani, of course, improved to 5-2 on the mound, even though his ERA actually rose from 0.75 to 0.82. His home run was his ninth, and at that point, he was 7 for 8 with three homers and three doubles against Sugano (including both the Nippon Professional Baseball and the majors).

Sugano (4 2/3 innings, three runs allowed on six hits) struck out Ohtani looking in the second inning and got him to ground out to first in the fifth inning.

Who’s not: Centerfielder Jake McCarthy, who went 0 for 3 and struck out three times against Ohtani. And infielder Edouard Julien’s slump keeps getting deeper. He went 0 for 2 with a strikeout. Julien is hitless over his last 34 at-bats, and is 1 for 40 over his last 15 games. The franchise record for consecutive hitless at-bats is 35, set by Ryan McMahon in 2025.

Worth noting: As impressive as Ohtani was, his command was not sharp. He exited the game after throwing 99 pitches through six innings, and only 56 went for strikes. He walked four and hit Rumfield, but he struck out seven.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Off day
Friday: Giants RHP Logan Webb (2-4, 5.06 ERA) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-7, 7.21), 6:10 p.m.
Saturday: Giants RHP Adrian Houser (2-4, 5.30) at Rockies TBD, 7:10 p.m.
Sunday: Giants LHP Robbie Ray (3-6, 4.60) at Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (0-0, 5.85), 1:10 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

They lost 15-6 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium and have lost eight straight at the venerable ballpark. Colorado is 92-177 all-time at Dodger Stadium.

Speaking of bad. Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland had nothing working, and the Rockies trailed 8-1 when he got the hook after four innings.

The final score was deceiving because the Rockies scored five runs in the ninth off infielder Miguel Rojas, who was pitching in relief to save wear and tear on the Dodgers’ bullpen. Included in Colorado’s faux rally against Rojas’ eephus pitches were home runs by Brett Sullivan, the catcher who finished the game on the mound for the third time in a week, and by Kyle Karros.

Key moments: There were three of them, all at the expense of Freeland: Mookie Betts hit a 404-foot, two-run homer to left-center in the first inning to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Enrique Hernandez led off the third with a 371-foot homer to left-center to make it 3-1. Two batters later, Andy Pages hit another solo homer, this one a 418-foot blast to center to make it 4-1. Game, set, match, and the rout was on.

Who’s hot: Willi Castro, who got the start at first base, hit 2 for 3, boosting his average to .264. Castro has five multi-hit games in his last eight starts.

Catcher Hunter Goodman is not actually hot, but he did lead off the second with a home run to center off left-hander Eric Lauer. It was Goodman’s 12th homer.

Who’s not: Freeland, obviously, who has an 8.08 ERA after getting shelled for eight runs on nine hits in four innings. Add in the three homers he served up Tuesday night, and the lefty has given up 12 home runs in nine starts.  Ten of those homers have come in May.

Right-handed reliever Zach Agnos, so good in his first professional start last Thursday at Arizona — five scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, and four strikeouts — got blasted by the Dodgers. They knocked him around for seven runs on six hits in just two innings. Included in the onslaught was a three-run homer by Betts and a two-run homer by Will Smith in Los Angeles’ five-run sixth.

Worth noting:  Wednesday night’s series finale will feature two Japanese superstars on the mound. Colorado will start right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, and Los Angeles will start two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, who enters the game 4-2 with a minuscule 0.75 ERA.

Colorado is 6-18 in May and has been outscored 158-91, a minus-67 run differential.

Pitching probables

Wednesday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (4-3, 3.86 ERA) at Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani (4-2, 0.73), 8:10 p.m.
Thursday: Off day
Friday: Giants RHP Logan Webb (2-4, 5.06) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-7, 7.21), 6:40 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Their 5-3 loss to the Dodgers on Monday night provided the latest example.

The Rockies took a 3-1 lead in the seventh when Ezequiel Tovar led off with a 431-foot homer off reliever Kyle Hurt. It was a big moment for a couple of reasons. First, it was Tovar’s first homer in 187 plate appearances, the longest homerless drought of his career. Second, Los Angeles’ bullpen had not been scored upon in 11 straight games and had fired 38 consecutive scoreless innings, the longest streak by the Dodgers in the modern era (since 1901).

But the celebration in Colorado’s dugout was premature because the Dodgers scored four runs in the bottom of the frame. Back-to-back leadoff walks by reliever Juan Mejia and a hit-by-pitch by lefty reliever Brennan Bernardino provided the kindling for L.A.’s rally. It scored runs on Shohei Ohtani’s groundout, Mookie Betts’ sacrifice fly, Freddie Freeman’s RBI double, and Andy Pages’ run-scoring single.

Key moments: Colorado took a 2-1 lead in the fourth, combining a leadoff double by Tyler Freelman, an infield hit by Troy Johnston, an RBI single by Willi Castro and a sacrifice fly by Tovar.

Who’s hot: Right-hander Tanner Gordon, making his first official start of the season, gave Colorado five strong innings. He allowed one run on six hits, walked one, and fanned three. It was a nice turnaround from his last outing, when he gave up seven runs on 12 hits in 6 1/3 innings of relief vs. Texas.

Tovar’s 2-for-3, two-RBI night provided proof that he’s finally emerging from his season-long slump.

Who’s not: Catcher Hunter Goodman was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, and his average is down to .241. His strikeout rate is 36%.

Edouard Julien, who replaced first baseman TJ Rumfield when Rumfield left the game after getting hit by a pitch in the first inning, went 0 for 2 with a walk. Julien is hitless in his last 32 at-bats and 1 for 38 over his last 14 games.

Worth noting: Rumfield, who got plunked in the right hand by Emmet Sheehan, had X-rays taken at Dodger Stadium. The X-rays were negative, although it’s not known if he’ll miss any time.

Before Monday’s game, Colorado placed left-handed pitcher Jose Quintana on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow sprain. Quintana injured his elbow in Colorado’s 9-1 loss at Arizona on Sunday. In a corresponding move, left-handed pitcher Welinton Herrera was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. In his major league debut, he pitched a one-two-three eighth inning.

Pitching probables

Tuesday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-5, 7.04 ERA) at Dodgers LHP Eric Lauer (1-5, 6.69), 8:10 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies TBA at Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani (4-2, 0.73), 8:10 p.m.
Thursday: Off day
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM