McMahon's tiebreaking homer lifts last-place Rockies over NL West-leading Dodgers 6-3

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ryan McMahon hit a tiebreaking homer in the fifth inning and the last-place Colorado Rockies regrouped after blowing a three-run lead to beat the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3 on Saturday night.

The loss by the 92-win Dodgers assured that for the first time since 2014 no team in the major leagues will win 100 games, not including the 60-game, pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

The Dodgers’ division lead dropped to three games over second-place San Diego, which beat the Chicago White Sox. Los Angeles managed just one hit after the fifth.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani stole his 53rd base in the ninth. He has swiped 30 straight bases without being caught dating to July 23.

“He gets the big lead and it feels like five steps he's at second base,” Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings said.

Ohtani, the newly crowned 50-50 king, remained at 52 homers. He singled, walked, scored and struck out on his final giveaway night of the season. The first 40,000 fans in the sellout crowd of 52,267 received an Ohtani T-shirt. Earlier, his two bobblehead promotions snarled traffic and created long lines.

The Dodgers loaded the bases against Seth Halvorsen with two outs in the ninth. Ohtani singled and Freddie Freeman and Tommy Edman walked before Max Muncy went down swinging.

“A really good win for us,” Rockies starter Cal Quantrill said. “At times we’ve had a hard time holding leads. Our bullpen in the last few weeks has been terrific and gave me the freedom to pitch the way I wanted to.”

Halvorsen earned his first major league save. He found out after the eighth that he would pitch the ninth.

“Seth's been super impressive to all of us older guys,” Stallings said. “He didn't look like his heartbeat was fast at all.”

McMahon homered off starter Walker Buehler (1-6), giving the third baseman his fifth consecutive 20-homer season.

Four of the Rockies' six runs came on two-out, two-strike hits, including Charlie Blackmon's two-run homer in the ninth off Daniel Hudson.

Fans booed Rockies reliever Luis Peralta (5-3) for hitting Ohtani on his right elbow with a pitch in the sixth. Ohtani isn't pitching this season as he rehabilitates from the elbow surgery he had in September 2023.

Colorado led 3-0 on Michael Toglia's fielder's choice grounder to Buehler in the first. Buehler's throw to the plate was too high, allowing Blackmon to score after he doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. Ezequiel Tovar doubled down the left-field line for two runs with two outs in the second.

The Dodgers pulled to 3-2 on Mookie Betts' two-run homer in the third that scored Ohtani, who walked. They tied it at 3 on Hunter Feduccia's RBI single with two outs in the fourth.

Buehler gave up four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, struck out a season-high nine and walked one.

“I think I’ve had some rough patches and really questioned if I have the stuff to compete,” Buehler said, “and tonight I felt like I could compete, and just didn’t make the big pitches in the big spots, or kind of made little mistakes and in the big spots, and that’s frustrating.”

Quantrill allowed three runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked four.

“The battle was good,” Quantrill said. “We got the outs when we needed them and we didn’t give in.”

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: CF Brenton Doyle (left knee tendinitis) was scratched for the second straight day.

Dodgers: LHP Anthony Banda (broken left hand) could return as soon as he's eligible, which is Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela (0-0, 6.00 ERA) makes his second start Sunday since returning from a 16-month rehab after Tommy John surgery.

Dodgers: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-2, 2.63) makes his third start since coming off the injured list.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reaches third as Teoscar Hernández lines out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon, top, heads to first for a two-run home run as Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Daniel Hudson, left, watches during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Rockies designated hitter Charlie Blackmon (19) celebrates with Jake Cave (11) and Ezequiel Tovar (14) after hitting a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Cave also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, congratulates Mookie Betts after Betts hit a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar breaks his bat as he hits into a double play during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts, right, heads to first for a two-run home run as Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Cal Quantrill watches during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) runs to second as Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers (7) throws to first during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Mookie Betts grounded out in to a double play. Betts out at first, and Ohtani out at second. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers can't get to a ball hit for an RBI single by Los Angeles Dodgers' Hunter Feduccia during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Rockies' Jacob Stallings, center, scores on as double by Ezequiel Tovar as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia puts a late take on him during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts (50) celebrates with designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Ohtani also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts (50) runs the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Shohei Ohtani also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) runs as he grounds out during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon, right, scores under the tag of Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia after Michael Toglia hit into a fielder's choice during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Cal Quantrill throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Rockies' Jacob Stallings, right, scores on a double by Ezequiel Tovar as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia takes a late throw on during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake leads early official results in Sri Lanka's presidential election, according to tallies released on Sunday by the Election Commission, but he is still short of the 50% needed for victory.

The election held Saturday is crucial as the country seeks to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history and the resulting political upheaval.

The election, contested by 38 candidates, was largely a three-way race among Dissanayake, incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

Dissanayake was leading with 47% of total votes counted, followed by Premadasa with nearly 28% and Wickremesinghe with 15%.

Wickremesinghe's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry congratulated Dissanayake on the social platform X and said he hopes Dissanayake will “lead with a commitment to transparency, integrity, and the long-term good of the country.”

“I wish Mr. Dissanayake and his team every success in their efforts to lead Sri Lanka forward,” Sabry added.

However, neither Wickremesinghe nor Premadasa has conceded defeat.

If no candidate secures at least 50% of the total votes there will not be a separate runoff.

The Sri Lankan election system allows voters to select three candidates on their ballots in the order of their preference. If no candidate secures a majority, the top two will be retained and the ballots of the eliminated candidates will be checked for preferences given to either of the top two candidates, and those votes will be added to their respective tallies.

The candidate with the highest number of votes after that will be declared the winner.

The election was a virtual referendum on Wickremesinghe’s leadership of a fragile recovery, including restructuring Sri Lanka’s debt under an International Monetary Fund bailout program after it defaulted in 2022.

Dissanayake leads the left-leaning coalition National People’s Power, an umbrella of civil society groups, professionals, Buddhist clergy and students.

No major incidents were reported during the vote but authorities declared a countrywide curfew until midday Sunday as a precaution, police said.

There were 17 million eligible voters and final results are expected Sunday evening.

The government announced Thursday that it passed the final hurdle in debt restructuring by reaching an agreement in principle with private bond holders.

At the time of its default, Sri Lanka’s local and foreign debt totaled $83 billion. The government says it has now restructured more than $17 billion.

Despite a significant improvement in key economic figures, Sri Lankans are struggling with high taxes and living costs.

Both Premadasa and Dissanayake say they will renegotiate the IMF deal to make austerity measures more bearable. Wickremesinghe has warned that any move to alter the basics of the agreement could delay the release of a fourth tranche of nearly $3 billion that is crucial to maintaining stability.

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis resulted largely from excessive borrowing on projects that did not generate revenue. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s insistence on using scarce foreign reserves to prop up the currency, the rupee, contributed to the economy’s free fall.

The economic collapse brought a severe shortage of essentials such as medicine, food, cooking gas and fuel, with people spending days waiting in line to obtain them. It led to rioting in which protesters took over key buildings including the president’s house, his office and the prime minister’s office, forcing then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

Wickremesinghe was elected by a parliamentary vote in July 2022 to cover the remainder of Rajapaksa’s five-year term.

People watch early election result showing Marxist-leaning lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake in a leading position on a television screen, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)

Police commandos stand guard outside a ballot counting center in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)

Police commandos stand guard outside a ballot counting center in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)

Police commandos stand guard outside a ballot counting center in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)

Polling officials carry a sealed ballot box as they return it to a counting center at the end of voting during presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Polling officials carry a sealed ballot box as they return it to a counting center at the end of voting during presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A police officer sits next to a sealed ballot box as polling officials prepare to return it to a counting center at the end of voting during presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

People wait in a queue to cast their votes at a polling center during the presidential election on the outskirts of Colombo , Sri Lanka Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A Sri Lankan family sit in a rickshaw as they leave a polling station after casting their votes in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Elderly women leave a polling station after casting their votes during the presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Voters gather at a polling station to cast their votes during the presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Election officers seal the documents and ballot box at the end of voting during presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A Sri Lankan man casts his vote at a polling station during presidential elections in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake arrives at a polling station to cast his vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)