Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in his first Cactus League at-bat of the year and Dalton Rushing gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-5 walk-off win against the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani worked a full count against fellow Japanese native Yusei Kikuchi before driving an elevated fastball the other way for a two-run homer. The sequence was reminiscent of Ohtani hitting a home run in his first Dodgers Spring Training game last year.
Ohtani went 1-for-3 with the aforementioned home run and one strikeout in his first game of the spring. He’s expected to be back in the lineup on Sunday.
Will Smith also made his 2025 Cactus League debut on Friday night, but to less success. Smith went hitless and struck out twice in xx at-bats. Smith had been delayed with getting into the Dodgers lineup due to a right ankle bruise that has bothered him since last season.
Max Muncy bobbling a potential double-play ball in the second inning left the bases loaded with nobody out and was followed by Jo Adell hitting a grand slam.
That wound up being the final batter Dustin May faced after throwing 33 pitches over one-plus inning. May retired the side in order in the first inning and capped it off with back-to-back strikeouts.
Adell’s grand slam was the only hit May allowed in his second start of the spring.
Miguel Rojas’ RBI single cut the Dodgers’ deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth, and Tommy Edman’s second hit of the game was a solo home run that pulled them even in the fifth.
The game remained tied until Jorge Ruiz delivered a go-ahead RBI double for the Angels in the ninth inning. That was short-lived, however, as Rushing sent a walk-off, two-run double down the left field line.
Next for Dodgers
Coming off their first night game of Spring Training, the Dodgers are due to face the San Francisco Giants on Saturday before playing split-squad action Sunday.
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