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DENVER\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Shohei Ohtani paused to admire the flight of his no-doubt home run as it sailed to right-center field.<\/p>\n
Clearly on a home-run trajectory, it was headed toward the visitor\u2019s bullpen. From among the trees, Dodgers reliever Kyle Hurt\u2019s glove shot up and secured the ball.<\/p>\n
As Ohtani circled the bases, the bullpen turned into a mosh pit around Hurt.<\/p>\n
In what has been a brutal August for the Dodgers, the vibes were undeniably high.<\/p>\n
Maybe all the Dodgers needed was a trip to the Mile High City.<\/p>\n
En route to an 11-5 win over the Rockies, Ohtani\u2019s two-run blast in the sixth inning \u2014 his second homer of the game \u2014 widened the Dodgers\u2019 lead to eight runs, a comfortable lead even at hitter-friendly Coors Field.<\/p>\n
Tarik Skubal has yet to have a Cy Young-caliber start for the Dodgers, but at least he\u2019s battling. The rest of the team is in a much worse funk.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsistency is key, but today I think we should [come] away with a lot of big confidence,\u201d said Ohtani, through interpreter Will Ireton, after his four-hit performance. \u201cDoing this every day is what matters, but I think this is a big game for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even with Monday\u2019s win, the Dodgers have a 6-10 record in August. And they entered Monday with a paltry .672 OPS, on pace for their worst offensive month of the season. For comparison, it posted a .710 OPS in July \u2014 its worst complete month.<\/p>\n
There are plenty of asterisks to put on Monday\u2019s victory. The altitude in Denver elevates any offense. And the Rockies have the worst record (50-75) in the National League.<\/p>\n
Maybe what the Dodgers (75-51) needed most \u2014 after dropping three of four to the Brewers at Dodger Stadium and handing over the season series (and tiebreaker if it comes down to that) \u2014 was a lighter series to loosen them up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it kind of gets to what makes you good as an offense,\u201d manager Dave Roberts said, \u201cand that\u2019s what makes us good: earning pitches, winning counts, spoiling pitches, those kinds of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was already working by the second inning when Max Muncy scored from first on Mookie Betts\u2019 double into the left-center gap of the expansive Coors Field outfield.<\/p>\n