The Los Angeles Dodgers began their road trip by winning two consecutive games against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, led by contributions from Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts.
The Dodgers outscored the Brewers, 12-4, in the first two matchups and enjoyed one of their best offensive performances of the season on Tuesday. They scored seven runs on 13 hits, with every starter collecting at least one.
The trio of Ohtani, Betts and Freddie Freeman especially stood out as they combined to go 5-for-15. Ohtani and Betts also accounted for all five of the Dodgers’ runs in their win on Monday.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy offered high praise for Ohtani, Betts and Freeman, deeming them three of the best players in baseball, via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com:
“They’re really, really good,” Murphy said. “You can create reasons, but they arguably have the three best players in the game to lead off the game. … They don’t go in too many slumps.”
Ohtani has established himself as the frontrunner for National League MVP honors in his first season with the Dodgers, hitting .294/.381/.613 with 29 doubles, five triples, 37 home runs, 86 RBI and 35 stolen bases through 119 games.
Betts has also put up quality numbers this season but missed a significant chunk while recovering from a fractured left hand. He’s nevertheless hitting .309/.405/.493 with 16 doubles, 11 home runs and 43 RBI in 76 games.
Freeman has struggled with bouts of inconsistency but is still having a solid season as well. He’s batting .290/.391/.490 with 29 doubles, 17 home runs and 71 RBI in 114 games.
Shohei Ohtani ‘really communicating’ with Mookie Betts
Betts returned to the Dodgers lineup this week, but will now bat second instead of leadoff. Ohtani will remain at the top of the lineup and said he has been communicating with Betts to make sure they are on the same page.
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