One night after the Los Angeles Dodgers put together an improved offensive effort, they endured more struggles in a one-run loss to the Houston Astros that snapped their modest winning streak at two games.
It was a complete turnaround effort for Peter Lambert, who entered the night having allowed 27 runs in 24 career innings against the Dodgers. The right-hander worked around three hits and four walks to complete seven scoreless innings for the first time in his career.
Lambert’s effort bested Shohei Ohtani, who had his longest start of the season at seven innings. It marked Ohtani’s first time reaching the seventh inning since July 2023.
Astros 2, Dodgers 1: key takeaways
Shohei Ohtani only pitches
Taking the mound against a backdrop of ongoing critiques and criticism, Ohtani turned in a quality start against the Astros. He was hurt by a pair of solo home runs, hit by Christian Walker and Braden Shewmake, respectively.
Walker’s homer in the second inning was the first Ohtani allowed this season. He had faced 122 hitters without allowing a home run this season, which was second-most in the Majors. Ahead of him is Justin Wrobleski, who has faced 143 batters so far in 2026 and is yet to surrender a long ball.
Walker’s home run traveled 395 feet and landed on the train track that sits up behind left field. Shewmake’s was only 337 feet and landed in the Crawford Boxes, good for a home run in only four stadiums.
Tuesday was Ohtani’s third time in six pitching starts this season that he was not in the Dodgers lineup as their designated hitter. All three of those instances have now come in Ohtani’s last four starts.
A change in plans this week arrived as manager Dave Roberts watched Ohtani during the series opener and amid the two-way star being mired in an 0-for-17 slump with six walks and four strikeouts.
Christian Walker’s success
Whether with the Arizona Diamondbacks or Astros, Walker has been a thorn in the Dodgers’ side. His home run off Ohtani was Walker’s 30th in 80 career games against L.A.
That’s the most homers Walker has hit against a single opponent, breaking a tie with the Colorado Rockies.
Andy Pages makes up offense
Andy Pages extended his hitting streak to seven games. He finished with three of the Dodgers’ six overall hits in the loss. Tuesday was Pages’ first multi-hit effort during his hitting streak.
After Alex Call’s pinch-hit leadoff double in the eighth inning, Kyle Tucker delivered a two-out RBI single.
The Dodgers went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base.
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