Ohtani hits MLB-best 36th HR but Angels routed by Rockies

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 36th home run, one of the few highlights for the Los Angeles Angels in a 12-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

Brendan Rodgers and pinch-hitter Sam Hilliard homered to back six effective innings from Austin Gomber as Colorado improved to 11-37 on the road.

Los Angeles trailed 10-0 in the fifth before Ohtani launched a 463-foot drive to center field for a two-run shot. The two-way sensation pitched seven strong innings Monday night and hit an RBI single in a 6-2 win over the Rockies.

“Nothing surprises me,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “From the waist down, it’s just a perfect swing and it’s really loud. He finishes so well. That was the longest one I’ve seen in that section. That thing was an absolute accelerated baseball. Nothing surprises. Nothing he’s doing can surprise us.”

Gomber (8-5) allowed two earned runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

“I was not happy,” Gomber said about the mistake to Ohtani. “Regardless of the 10-run lead, I’m not trying to give up any runs. I’m fighting that battle within myself. On the mental side, I’m locked in. I don’t have time to take my foot off the gas. The reaction was, I made a bad pitch.”

The Rockies, who got 16 hits, scored four runs in the fourth to open a 9-0 lead.

Rodgers homered for the second time in two games.

Colorado scored two unearned runs in the first, a tough stretch for Angels starter Jose Suarez (4-4) as Jack Mayfield made consecutive fielding errors at third base.

Suarez also was called for an early balk. He loaded the bases but got out of it with just two runs allowed. The Rockies scored on a fielder’s choice by Charlie Blackmon and another from...

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