It looked like it was going to be another rough day for the Los Angeles Dodgers where the offense struggled and bullpen blew the game, but they battled back to walk-off against the Minnesota Twins with a 4-3 victory.
The Dodgers got a phenomenal start by Tyler Glasnow to set the tone for the game. He threw seven innings with just one run allowed on three hits. He struck out a season-high 12 hitters, which was the second-most of his career, and walked just one.
Once Glasnow reached 11 strikeouts, it became the most by a Dodgers pitcher this season, and he of course added on one more. The only run he allowed came in the third inning when Royce Lewis blasted a solo homer to lead off the inning.
But the Dodgers’ offense was only able to score one run in six innings against Chris Paddack, one of the worst qualified starters in MLB.
Their lone run versus Paddack was a solo home run from Shohei Ohtani in the first inning to put them up 1-0. Outside of that, he allowed just three other hits, struck out eight and walked no one.
It wasn’t until the seventh inning when Paddack was out of the game that they were able to score another.
Freddie Freeman singled before Andy Pages and Miguel Rojas both worked walks, which loaded the bases with one out. Tommy Edman delivered with a single to put the Dodgers up 2-1, but that was the only run they scored, a disappointing outcome to the inning.
And once again, the Dodgers bullpen was unable to protect a lead.
Kirby Yates entered in the eighth and walked all three batters he faced before exiting the game. Alex Veisa took over and immediately forced a double play, but it also tied the game up. The Twins then took a 3-2 lead on a softly-hit infield single.
The Dodgers loaded the bases in the eighth inning but couldn’t capitalize. Anthony Banda struck out three batters in a scoreless ninth to give the offense a chance, and they finally took advantage of one of their chances.
With two outs in the ninth inning, Mookie Betts hit an infield single to start the rally. Shohei Ohtani was then intentionally walked due to Esteury Ruiz being on deck after running for Teoscar Hernández early in the game. Ruiz also ended up walking to load the bases.
With Freeman up, he singled to left field, driving in two runs and giving the Dodgers their walk-off win.
Shohei Ohtani ties Dodgers record
Ohtani’s first inning homer gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead, and it was also the fifth consecutive game he has left the yard.
Ohtani slugged a two-run homer in the ninth inning last night to set an MLB record as the first Japanese-born player to hit a home run in four consecutive games.
The last Dodgers player to homer in five straight games was Max Muncy from Aug. 15-21, 2019. With his fifth straight, Ohtani tied the modern day club record along with Muncy, Roy Campanella (1950), Adrián González (2014), Shawn Green (2001), Matt Kemp (2010) and Joc Pederson (2015).
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