The Los Angeles Dodgers bounced back from a shellacking by hitting four home runs in what turned into a comfortable 9-3 win over the Athletics on the annual Star Wars Night at Dodger Stadium.
Shohei Ohtani got the Dodgers started early with his third leadoff home run of the season that traveled halfway up the pavilion in right field. Andy Pages followed suit in the second inning with a leadoff homer of his own that doubled the Dodgers’ lead.
Then with the game tied, Hyeseong Kim connected on his first career home run to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Kim went 2-for-2 in his first start at Dodger Stadium.
He was pinch-hit for in the sixth inning by Miguel Rojas, who put the Dodgers ahead with a two-out RBI double. Rojas’ clutch hit came two batters after Pages was thrown out on his ill-advised attempt to go from first to third base on Michael Conforto’s single into left field.
It was the only disappointing aspect of the game for Pages as he reached in all four plate appearances.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed three runs and struck out six batters over six innings of work. Among the four hits the A’s had against the right-hander was Tyler Soderstrom’s two-run homer that tied the game in the third inning.
Yamamoto’s start against the A’s was his second in a row on five days of rest. He pitched under such circumstances in 11 of 18 starts last season.
Yamamoto was followed by Alex Vesia, Kirby Yates and Ben Casparius each pitching one scoreless inning to finish out the Dodgers’ win. Yates allowed a double in the eighth but stranded the tying run at third base.
Mookie Betts provided some breathing room by hitting a two-run double after Ohtani was intentionally walked in the eighth inning. Max Muncy then broke the game open with a three-run homer.
Tanner Scott had been warming up for the save opportunity until Muncy’s home run.
Dodgers call up Dalton Rushing
Much of the headlines involving the Dodgers on Wednesday was their decision to promote top prospect Dalton Rushing from Triple-A Oklahoma City and designate Austin Barnes for assignment.
Rushing is expected to make his MLB debut in the series rubber match, when the Dodgers are going to rely on a bullpen game because of Roki Sasaki’s right shoulder injury preventing him from making the start.
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