The Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to five games with a 6-3 victory over the Miami Marlins, receiving home runs from Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, James Outman and Teoscar Hernández.
For Outman, his two-run shot in the second inning off Roddery Muñoz gave the Dodgers a decided lead and snapped an 0-for-8 streak at the plate.
The 26-year-old has gotten off to a less than ideal start this season but is keeping a positive mindset. “No, not really,” Outman answered when asked if he felt a sense of relief with the home run.
“I’m just happy to hit it, of course. But I’m trying to go one day at a time, one pitch at a time, and do my best to compete.”
Outman said he hasn’t worked on anything in particular with his swing, but now steps up to the plate with a clear mind. “To be honest, we were talking to today, and I was sick of worrying about my swing and stuff, so I just wanted to go up there and compete.”
Outman believes it is important for players to have clarity when they are in the batter’s box. “For sure, you know, big leaguers are tough,” he began.
“You know, these guys are good. Everyone is good. I think that’s kind of the key, and it’s easier said than done to have clarity in the box, but it’s important.”
After finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting last year, Outman is hitting just .169/.267/.303 with three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI through 29 games.
James Outman: ‘It was fun’ playing behind Walker Buehler
The Dodgers’ win over the Marlins was also notable in that Walker Buehler made his first big league in nearly two years. The right-hander allowed three runs and collected four strikeouts in four innings of work.
“It was fun,” Outman said of playing behind Buehler for the first time. “I never got to play behind him before, so it was fun playing behind him today. It was great to have him back. You know, he’s one of the guys and I thought he was throwing the ball well.”
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