LOS ANGELES — One night time after needing to grind out a comeback victory in a sport the place they’d had the possibility to win comfortably, the Dodgers stored their foot on the gasoline and cruised to a sequence win.
Shohei Ohtani led off the underside of the primary inning with a booming solo shot — his first homer since coming back from paternity depart simply over every week in the past — and the Dodgers by no means appeared again in a 15-2 rout of the Marlins on Tuesday night time at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles tallied a season-high 15 runs and notched 10-plus hits for the sixth time in its previous seven video games, all whereas hanging out solely 5 instances. It was greater than sufficient offense to again a deliberate bullpen sport that went nearly in addition to the group may have imagined.
Listed here are three key storylines from the Dodgers’ blowout win:
Dad power on show
The Dodgers briefly trailed after the highest of the primary inning, however the deficit did not final lengthy as soon as Ohtani jumped on a first-pitch sinker from Sandy Alcantara and despatched it crusing out to proper discipline. At 114.1 mph off the bat, it was Ohtani’s hardest-hit homer of the season. Since Statcast started monitoring in 2015, solely two gamers have extra 114-plus mph dwelling runs than Ohtani’s 35: the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton (73) and Aaron Decide (42).
“For him to make it a [tie] ballgame after the primary pitch that their starter throws definitely will get some life into our offense, and we simply took it from there,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “However yeah, when he is going, you’ll be able to see our offense form of follows swimsuit.”
After going 2-for-16 in his first 4 video games again from the paternity listing, Ohtani appeared to seek out his rhythm in Saturday’s win over the Pirates. Since then, he is gone 7-for-15 with 5 extra-base hits.
Ohtani has loved having the ability to spend time along with his spouse and new child daughter through the homestand, and he is simply starting to study in regards to the routine adjustments that accompany fatherhood.
“Simply grateful for a secure supply,” Ohtani stated by way of interpreter Will Ireton. “I am glad that though I could not sleep as a lot as I wished to, it is a good sort of not-getting-enough-sleep state of affairs.”
First to 30
Teoscar Hernández has been a run-producing machine, and he knocked in 4 extra in opposition to the Marlins — his third four-RBI efficiency of the younger season. Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman and Andy Pages are the one different Dodgers to drive in 4 runs in a sport.
Hernández seized the Main League lead with 31 RBIs, passing Decide (29) for the highest spot. Remarkably, 14 of these RBIs are from his previous seven video games.
Nevertheless it takes a group effort to create run-scoring alternatives, and Hernández famous that Tuesday’s win felt like one of many Dodgers’ most full video games but.
“It was like, if the pitching was there, we did not hit, or after we hit, the pitching wasn’t there,” Hernández stated. “Immediately was the primary sport that I do not forget that every part was understanding from throughout.”
Candy and Sauer
Whereas Tuesday was a scheduled bullpen sport, the Dodgers solely wanted to ship 4 arms to the mound — and one was a place participant. Following Jack Dreyer’s two innings of one-run ball to open the competition, Matt Sauer held the Marlins to at least one run throughout 5 robust frames, incomes his first Main League win. Luis García and utility man Kiké Hernández coated the ultimate two innings, making certain the group would have its back-end arms accessible with the chance to comb in Wednesday’s finale.
Sauer was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis to supply size, however the Dodgers most likely weren’t anticipating to get fairly this a lot out of him. He coated 5 innings for the Comets on April 12, however hadn’t pitched that deep right into a sport since then.
In all chance, Sauer will quickly be headed again to Oklahoma Metropolis because the corresponding transfer to activate right-hander Tony Gonsolin from the 15-day injured listing on Wednesday. However the impression of what Sauer was in a position to do will lengthen far past one sport for a Dodgers bullpen that leads the Majors in innings.
“Even after we’re down in OKC, you continue to observe the large league membership,” Sauer stated, “and I knew the bullpen has been used lots. So coming into right this moment, I had a purpose of no less than 5 innings, assist the boys down within the ’pen a little bit bit. Simply completely satisfied I used to be ready to do this.”
