Although they made it interesting, the (now) 68-51 National League West first-place Los Angeles Dodgers (of Los Angeles) are dangerously close to not being the National League West first-place Los Angeles Dodgers with their ugly 7-4 loss to the (now) 57-62 American League West fourth-place Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim) at Angel Stadium on Monday night.
The interesting part came with one out in the top of the eighth inning and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts‘ team trailing Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery‘s team 7-0. That’s when international superstar and Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani slugged his 42nd home run of the season, a 389-foot solo shot to right-center field, to make it a 7-1 ballgame. This was followed five batters later by Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy‘s 17th home run of the season, a 343-foot three-run shot to right field, scoring Dodgers shortstop/right-fielder Mookie Betts and catcher Will Smith, both of whom singled ahead of Muncy’s blast, to make it a 7-4 game and final score.
(SportsNet LA)
(SportsNet LA)
“There definitely has to be some urgency. Obviously, I don’t think anyone’s blind to the fact that the standings are the standings, so it’s gotten a lot more interesting,” Roberts astutely told reporters postgame.
That “…blind to the fact that the standings are the standings…” thing is that Roberts’ team is now only 1.0 games ahead of the blazing hot NL West second-place San Diego Padres, who have won seven of their last 10 games compared to the Dodgers winning five of their last 10.
As they say: “Get in, sit down, strap in and hang on,” things are about to get real interesting around here.
Play Ball!
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