Dodger Stadium itself is coming to realize what opposing pitchers already know about Shohei Ohtani.

The old cathedral on the hill is struggling to contain Ohtani’s power and not just when it comes to the wall beyond the outfield grass.

Ohtani crushed a leadoff home run during a seven-run first inning that nearly left the ballpark entirely as the Dodgers ultimately held on for an 8-7 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night and their third three-game home sweep already this season.

Ohtani’s 448-foot blast landed in the back row of the right-field pavilion and just shy of the zig-zag corrugated metal roof. His 473-foot home run to right-center last season against the Boston Red Sox missed landing on the roof by inches.

“If it was a day game, or as we get into the summer, that ball’s out of the stadium,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s gonna happen at some point.”

Wednesday’s drive merely lit the fuse for a huge first inning when the Dodgers sent 12 batters to the plate. Freddie Freeman hit a home run in the inning, while Andy Pages had a two-run single, and Austin Barnes delivered a two-run double.

Admittedly a slow starter in previous seasons, Ohtani can be especially pleased with his .288 batting average, .930 OPS, six home runs and eight RBIs over 20 games this season since it has come following offseason shoulder surgery.

“I think I’m on par with what I usually do at the plate,” Ohtani said. “My rehab has been going on pretty smoothly, so I think overall, it’s been a really good first 20 games.”

— Doug Padilla

PADRES’ HOT START

Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado each drove in two runs and Nick Pivetta pitched six strong innings as the Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Wednesday at Petco Park.

The Padres won two of three in a series between National League division leaders.

The Padres improved to a major league-best 15-4. The NL West leaders have won 12 of 13 home games, with the lone loss coming on Tuesday night in 10 innings against Chicago.

Pivetta (3-1) allowed one run and four hits in a sharp performance. He struck out six and walked one.

Robert Suarez pitched a perfect ninth for his big league-leading eighth save.

AROUND THE MAJORS

Cal Raleigh reached 100 career homers after he connected from each side of the plate during Seattle’s 5-3 victory at Cincinnati on Wednesday night. He hit 101 in the ninth inning Thursday as the Mariners rallied to beat the Reds 11-7.

The 28-year-old Mariners’ Gold Glove catcher reached 100 homers in 482 games, second-fastest in franchise history behind Alex Rodriguez at 470 games.

Tyler Soderstrom hit his major league-leading ninth home run, helping the Athletics to an 8-0 win Thursday and a three-game sweep of the struggling White Sox in Chicago.

Soderstrom’s nine homers tied for second-most in franchise history through 19 games with Reggie Jackson (1974) and Mark McGwire (1992), one behind Bob Cerv (1958) and Khris Davis (2019).

The Colorado Rockies fired hitting coach Hensley Meulens and replaced him with former manager Clint Hurdle on Thursday.

The Rockies, who had the day off before starting a series against the Nationals, are 3-15. They are hitting .220, tied for 27th with 12 homers and last with 52 runs. The 57-year-old Meulens had been the club’s hitting coach under manager Bud Black since 2022.

Texas had manager Bruce Bochy’s grandson, Braxton Bochy, throw out the first pitch — with the former catcher behind the plate on his 70th birthday, before the Rangers’ 3-1 victory over the Angels.

The only current MLB manager older than Bochy is the Angels’ Ron Washington, who turns 73 on April 29.

The hero of Baltimore’s win over Cleveland sat calmly outside the clubhouse, being a very good boy.

That would be Coconut, Jackson Holliday’s dog. He was in attendance for the team’s Bark at Oriole Park promotion. Holliday, 21, hit his second career grand slam in the second inning on Wednesday night, and the Orioles went on to beat the Guardians 9-1.