The Los Angeles Dodgers walked into Denver this week knowing they couldn’t afford to stumble. The San Diego Padres have closed the gap in the National League West, and the Dodgers needed to handle business against the last-place Colorado Rockies . Instead, Wednesday night turned into another frustrating Coors Field chapter, capped by Shohei Ohtani’s roughest start in nearly five years and a scare that left Dave Roberts searching for answers.

Ohtani’s night unraveled quickly. Making his first career start at Coors, the two-way superstar gave up five earned runs on nine hits in just four innings. The thin air was unkind to his repertoire, flattening pitches and amplifying Rockies’ contact. His struggles deepened in the fourth inning when Orlando Arcia’s 93 mph line drive struck hi

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