The Los Angeles Dodgers rode early offense and a stout showing from their bullpen to defeat the Texas Rangers and clinch a series win.
The Dodgers are now an MLB-best 11-3 this season, have seven comeback wins and can complete a sweep of the Rangers on Sunday afternoon. They’ve swept two of their four completed series thus far.
Saturday’s game drew an attendance of 53,617, good for the Dodgers’ fifth sellout of the season.
Dodgers 6, Rangers 3: key takeaways
Emmet Sheehan trending up
Sheehan technically turned in a quality start even if was accompanied by some frustration. Of the four hits he allowed over a season-high six innings, three were to Brandon Nimmo.
Nimmo led off the game with a home run and added a two-run shot in the sixth inning as well. Sandwiched in between his two homers was a ground-rule double in the third.
Sheehan had only allowed one baserunner who wasn’t Nimmo through five innings. That changed on Josh Jung’s single in the sixth that led to Nimmo coming up with his 11th career multi-homer game.
The biggest development for Sheehan in the outing was his fastball velocity averaging 95.2 mph. That represented a noted increase from his season average of 93.9 mph. Sheehan has maintained his heater being down so far this year was not due to an injury or health-related issue.
Early offense
Shohei Ohtani extended his MLB leading on-base streak to 45 games with a leadoff home run. The on-base streak is currently the longest of Ohtani’s career, besting the previous mark of 36 games, and stands as a record among Japanese-born players. Ichiro Suzuki held that honor before Ohtani at 43 games.
Ohtani tied with Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith for the team lead Saturday night with two hits. His home run was one of two the Dodgers hit in the first inning as Hernández put them ahead with a three-run blast. Hernández had another opportunity in the fourth inning but only drove in one run as he grounded into a double play.
Andy Pages provided the Dodgers’ only other run of the night on an RBI single in the eighth inning.
Double plays
In addition to Hernández, Freddie Freeman also hit into a twin killing. That’s been a trouble spot for the Dodgers throughout much of the season as they lead all teams with 15 double plays. Included in that was three in the series opener, which needed a record-setting performance from Max Muncy for the Dodgers to come away with a walk-off win.
Despite the high number of double plays, the Dodgers lead the National League in runs scored.
Dodgers bullpen
Jack Dreyer, Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia combined for three scoreless innings after Sheehan’s start. Dreyer struck out the side in a bounce-back appearance after struggling in the finale of the road trip.
Treinen walked Corey Seager and was hurt by an error on Max Muncy before giving way to Alex Vesia for the final out of the game.
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