It took four games into the second half of the season, but the Dodgers finally ended their three-game losing streak on Monday with their 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins in front of a Dodger Stadium crowd of 51,121, this after having lost seven of twelve heading into the All-Star break.
What’s more, all five of the Dodgers runs on Monday were the results of home runs, with Dodgers international superstar Shohei Ohtani hitting a two run shot to center in the bottom of the first, Dodgers catcher Will Smith with two solo shots (one in the bottom of the four to center and one in the bottom of the sixth to left-center), and Dodgers center fielder/right fielder Andy Pages with a solo shot to left-center in the bottom of the seventh.
What’s even more, Ohtani was the Dodgers starting pitcher on Monday, going 3.0 innings and giving up a first-inning solo home run to Twins center fielder Byron Buxton on the second pitch of the game.
What’s even more, following a lead off walk by Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts in the bottom of the first, Ohtani absolutely crushed an 86.6-mph change-up from Twins starting right-hander David Festa, sending it an incredible 441 feet to straightaway center to give his team – and himself – an early 2-1 lead.
(SportsNet LA)
What’s even more, there’s this from Dodger Insider on X.com:
When all was said and done, it was Smith’s sixth-inning 395-footer to center off Festa that proved to be the game-winning/losing-streak-ending run. It was Smith’s fourth career multi-home run game.
(SportsNet LA)
But it wasn’t a cakewalk for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts‘ team. His (still) struggling bullpen loaded the bases in the top of the ninth and a one-out sacrifice fly by Twins first baseman Cody Clemens made it a 5-2 ballgame, bringing the potential tying run at the plate in the form of much-hated former Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa. Fortunately, Dodgers right-hander Kirby Yates got Correa to hit a (long) fly ball to center, where Dodgers replacement center fielder James Outman robbed Correa of what would have been a game-tying three-run home run.
(SportsNet LA)
“Correa’s a heck of a player and he put a good swing on it,” Roberts said postgame of the final out of the game. “We were fortunate that we got some kind of moisture in the air tonight that it just didn’t carry out, so yeah, we dodged one there,” he added.
Play Ball!
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