It simply wasn’t fairly sufficient to guide the Dodgers to victory.
Ohtani hit his forty first residence run of the season with a two-run shot to place the Dodgers in entrance, however a late bullpen collapse despatched them to a 9-8 loss to the Rays in 10 innings on Saturday night time at Dodger Stadium.
The loss snapped the Dodgers’ five-game successful streak and shrank their result in three video games within the Nationwide League West standings over the D-backs, who beat the Pink Sox earlier within the day.
With the Dodgers trailing 5-4 and a runner on within the fifth inning, Ohtani obtained a Taj Bradley splitter on the outer half and pulled it down the right-field line into the primary row of seats subsequent to the foul pole for a go-ahead blast. The homer traveled a Statcast-projected 338 ft, the shortest residence run of Ohtani’s profession.
“Huge spot,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “It is good hitting within the sense of it is one thing that it wasn’t a fastball, it was down under the zone, and he did not come out of his swing. He stayed sq., and was in a position to have sufficient behind it to maintain it truthful and hit it out of the ballpark.”
Ohtani has 41 residence runs and 40 stolen bases on the season as he strikes nearer to changing into the one member of the 50-50 membership. It was his sixth residence run in his final 12 video games and got here on the identical day he threw off a mound for the primary time since having elbow surgical procedure final September.
“Cannot say sufficient,” mentioned Clayton Kershaw, who allowed 5 runs in 5 innings however was in line for the win because of Ohtani’s homer. “I do not know what else you may say. It is simply each night time there’s one thing particular that he does, all of the whereas rehabbing and attempting to get able to pitch. It is fairly outstanding.”
Miguel Rojas added a solo residence run to increase the Dodgers’ result in 7-5, however the bullpen couldn’t maintain it. Michael Kopech loaded the bases with no outs earlier than surrendering a sacrifice fly to carry the Rays inside a run within the eighth. Within the ninth, Evan Phillips served up a 418-foot, game-tying residence run to Junior Caminero to guide off.
Jose Caballero added the ultimate blow with a two-run homer within the high of the tenth in opposition to Joe Kelly.
Kelly now has a 4.85 ERA on the yr, though he was coming off three consecutive scoreless outings.
“I feel there’s typically he is available in and he is lights out, and different occasions, he labors,” Roberts mentioned. “I do not know if it is one thing we’ve obtained to dig into or what it’s. However it’s actually been inconsistent.”
That the Dodgers have been in place to win within the first place was largely because of Ohtani’s efforts.
Kershaw obtained rocked for 4 runs within the high of the primary inning to place the Dodgers in a right away gap. He recovered to permit only one run in his closing 4 innings, however the Rays nonetheless hit him laborious.
General, Tampa Bay hit eight balls with exit velocities of over 100 mph off Kershaw.
“That first inning cannot occur,” Kershaw mentioned. “Get our group behind that a lot that early, it is robust to return again from.”
Ohtani, although, was there to select him up. With the group trailing 4-0 within the fourth, Ohtani reached on a catcher’s interference to offer the Dodgers their first baserunner for the reason that first inning – when Ohtani led off with a single.
Mookie Betts adopted with an RBI double into the left-field nook to place the Dodgers on the board, and Teoscar Hernández belted a two-run homer two batters later to chop the deficit to 4-3.
The Rays added one other run within the high of the fifth to re-extend the lead, however it didn’t final lengthy.
Max Muncy’s excessive fly ball dropped into shallow left subject on a miscommunication by the Rays protection, Miguel Rojas introduced him residence with an RBI single, and Ohtani gave the Dodgers the lead one batter later along with his lined shot into the nook.
“For him to remain via the baseball speaks to the place he is at,” Roberts mentioned. “It is actually laborious to do, and a extremely good swing”
Even in a loss, Ohtani’s affect was felt. He completed 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored, two RBIs and supplied one closing thrill within the tenth.
Going through left-hander Garrett Cleavinger to guide off the tenth because the tying run on the plate, Ohtani hit a towering fly ball to proper subject that left his bat at 99.4 mph however fell simply wanting the warning monitor.
Off the bat, Roberts thought he had hit a game-tying residence run.
“I did,” Roberts mentioned. “A troublesome at-bat versus a left-hander, and I hoped he obtained simply sufficient of it. He nonetheless took a great swing.”
