The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped their second consecutive game coming out of the All-Star break despite Shohei Ohtani nearly willing the team to a comeback win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The two-way star put the Dodgers on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning with his 33rd home run of the season that trimmed their deficit to 4-2.
Then in the sixth, Ohtani brought the Dodgers to within one run with an RBI single. The 31-year-old nearly evened the score in the eighth with his second homer of the game but the fly ball was caught on the warning track.
Ohtani finished the night 2-for-5 with a team-high three RBI in the Dodgers’ 8-7 loss to the Brewers.
“Shohei is doing well,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “I think he’s very mindful of where our team is at right now, and I feel he’s trying to will his way to kind of getting us over the hump.
“He’s competing, he’s taking really good at-bats and he’s fighting. I love what he’s doing. Just missed another homer late and he also lined out to the first baseman, so across the board, very good. I see his focused really increased, trying to pick everybody else up.”
The Dodgers have now lost nine of their last 11 games dating back to July 4 as they continue to navigate through injuries and several key players struggling at the plate.
Ohtani’s production has fallen in the month of July as he is hitting just .192 with four home runs and nine RBI over 14 games. However, Ohtani has shown time and time again that he is capable of breaking out and carrying the Dodgers on any given night.
Shohei Ohtani’s next start as pitcher
Ohtani is scheduled to make his next start as a pitcher on Monday in the series opener against the Minnesota Twins. He’s expected to pitch three innings, which will match his outing on July 12 at Oracle Park.
Expected to follow Ohtani is Dustin May, whose workload will be managed in the second half.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
