Only thing missing from Johnston's pitching debut for Rox? A 500-foot Ohtani HR

DENVER -- The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani gave away two home run balls -- one to a fan, the other to reliever Kyle Hurt in the bullpen -- and Max Muncy hit one to a lucky fan 461 feet from home plate at Coors Field on Monday night.

Just as happy to get a souvenir ball was the Rockies’ Troy Johnston, and it didn’t have anything to do with a home run.

Usually an outfielder or designated hitter and sometimes a first baseman, Johnston ended up pitching the ninth inning of Colorado's 11-5 defeat. In his first pitching performance since high school, Johnston was all over the place with the location of his pitches -- with a hit batsman and a walk -- but held the Dodgers scoreless.

With two outs in the frame, the Dodgers showed mercy by removing Ohtani for pinch-hitter Ben Rortvedt, who bounced out. Johnston immediately raised his glove to request that first baseman TJ Rumfield flip him the baseball.

And Johnston flashed as big a smile as he could on a night that otherwise fell apart early for the Rockies.

"That’s probably the funniest part,” Johnston said. “Just to be able to go up and do that in a Major League game … and say that I’m a Major League pitcher. That’s kind of funny, and kind of cool and quirky.”

Johnston, 29 and in his first full Major League season, didn’t go seeking a pitching assignment. This moment sought out Johnston.

Usually, manager Warren Schaeffer turns to catcher Brett Sullivan to get blowout games over with, and he has a 5.14 ERA in six appearances (Sullivan also became the only non-Ohtani player to homer as a pitcher this season in a game in Los Angeles earlier this summer).

But on Monday, that option was not available. Sullivan was catching, as two-time All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman is nursing a sore left shoulder. Asking him to put on the gear and catch Sullivan “would probably be malpractice,” Schaeffer said.

While not surgical, Johnston at least was effective.

"Troy’s next man up,” Schaeffer said. “I thought he did a really nice job. He got to pitch in the big leagues.”

As the game -- and the sounds of one of those Coors Field crowds that cheered the Dodgers because the Rockies didn’t give them much material -- droned toward its conclusion, Johnston saw the moment coming.

He said he received “an inning or two” of notice, then enjoyed his strange but special moment.

"It was almost like a debut kind of moment for me,” said Johnston, who broke in with the Marlins last year after a long Minor League apprenticeship, then was claimed off waivers by the Rockies. “I looked up in the stands. I looked around. I thought it was pretty cool.”

Johnston wanted to be fancy, until Sullivan stepped in.

"Sully said, ‘Absolutely no offspeed,'” he said.

But he didn’t have to try. Johnston’s throws as a position player sometimes have cutting action, so Statcast picked up sliders and cutters, and pitches that floated the other way became changeups.

Tommy Edman, the second batter, let a pitch hit him.

"If you’re getting thrown by a position player, you almost want to get hit because you don’t want the at-bat, especially with the way I was throwing,” Johnston said. “I was all over the place. I never really throw too many strikes.”

He didn’t have a chance to test whatever he was throwing against Ohtani.

“That would have been great,” Johnston said. “I would have loved to see him hit a 500-foot home run off me -- because that’s all he’s going to do.

“But I got the outs and I’m so happy to just have a zero.”