Ohtani Hits 30th Homer of Season, Dodgers Edge Rockies 7-6

Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run home run Tuesday night to reach 30 homers for the sixth straight season, and Freddie Freeman added two hits and two RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 7-6.

Teoscar Hernandez had a triple and a double, and Tommy Edman doubled twice as the Dodgers broke out of an offensive slump in Denver. Los Angeles had scored just 10 runs over a four-game series against Milwaukee over the weekend. Against Colorado, the Dodgers have scored 18 runs on 24 hits with four home runs — including three by Ohtani — through the first two games of the three-game set.

Ohtani's 30th homer traveled 448 feet into the Los Angeles bullpen off Ryan Feltner (5-7), giving the Dodgers a 3-1 lead in the third inning. The Rockies tied it in the bottom of the inning before Los Angeles went back ahead in the fourth, when Edman, Kyle Tucker and Hernandez all doubled to make it 5-3. Hernandez scored on Freeman's sacrifice fly.

Eric Lauer (8-6) allowed four runs on six hits with six strikeouts over five innings. The 31-year-old left-hander has been one of Los Angeles' best starters since arriving from Toronto on May 17, going 6-1 with a 3.48 ERA in his first 11 starts with the Dodgers.

Before the game, Los Angeles placed closer Edwin Diaz on the injured list with neck inflammation and recalled right-hander Emmet Sheehan from Triple-A. Tanner Scott, elevated to the closer role, earned his 17th save by getting TJ Rumfield to pop out to short with the tying run on base.

Colorado's Will Castro hit his 14th home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth inning.

The Dodgers' Roki Sasaki (5-5, 4.46 ERA) faces the Rockies' Kyle Freeland (4-10, 6.27) in the finale of the three-game series Wednesday night.