The Los Angeles Dodgers had another lackluster offensive performance and saw their losing streak reach four games as they fell 2-1 to the Baltimore Orioles in walk-off fashion. The Orioles are on a four-game winning streak, having just swept the San Diego Padres before downing the Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani made an unexpected start in the series opener due to Tyler Glasnow being scratched because of back tightness. Ohtani was originally scheduled to pitch Wednesday but did not do so because of feeling under the weather.
The Dodgers initially planned on Ohtani starting at some point this weekend before settling on delaying him until their home series against the Colorado Rockies. But Glasnow’s injury required another pivot, and Ohtani responded with a scoreless effort.
Some of that was thanks to Anthony Banda stranding the runner he inherited at third base with two outs in the fourth inning. Ohtani threw 70 pitches and allowed just three hits while collecting five strikeouts against one walk.
Perhaps sensing he was facing his final batter, Ohtani threw four fastballs of at least 100.2 mph to Emmanuel Rivera. Included in that was Ohtani’s hardest pitch of the night, a 101.5 mph four-seam fastball.
Baltimore took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when Gunnar Henderson stole third base and kept running on a Ben Casparius wild pitch.
Jack Dreyer, Blake Treinen and Michael Kopech each kept the game knotted in a tie, but Tanner Scott surrendered a walk-off home run to Orioles rookie Samuel Basallo with two outs in the ninth inning.
Dodgers’ offense struggles
Rather than build off a late flurry in the finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Dodgers were held without a run until the sixth inning.
Mookie Betts nearly changed that early but his fly ball that traveled 370 feet was caught at the wall in left field. Freddie Freeman followed with a drive that carried 385 feet to right field, but it too was caught to end the first inning.
Betts’ fly ball would have been a home run in just three of 30 ballparks, and Freeman’s in 16. Both would have cleared the fence at Dodger Stadium.
Dean Kremer didn’t allow a hit through three innings, but saw his start end early due to right forearm discomfort. Freeman greeted Dietrich Enns with a soft chopper to third base for an infield single to lead off the fourth inning.
The Dodgers went on to load the bases with two outs before Dalton Rushing struck out to end the inning. Rushing later was removed from the game after fouling a pitch off his right knee/upper shin.
Freeman hit a game-tying home run to lead off the sixth inning helped the Dodgers avoid being shut out, even if it ultimately was all for naught.
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