Freddie Freeman hit a game-ending two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning, Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in his fifth consecutive game and the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled out a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
The Dodgers’ ninth-inning rally started with two outs on an infield single from Mookie Betts against right-hander Griffin Jax (1-5). Ohtani was walked intentionally to move the tying run to second base and Esteury Ruiz walked to load the bases.
Freeman’s sinking line drive to left just eluded the glove of a diving Harrison Bader.
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow had season highs with 12 strikeouts in seven innings as the Dodgers won for just the fourth time in their past 15 games.
Ohtani became the first MLB player to hit home runs in five consecutive games since the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge last season. He also tied the Dodgers franchise record, done five previous times, most recently by Max Muncy in 2019.
Royce Lewis hit a home run and Chris Paddack gave up one run over six innings with eight strikeouts for the Twins, who went 2-4 on a road trip to Colorado and Los Angeles.
Ohtani gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead with a home run to left-center field in the first. It was his National League-leading 37th of the season as he broke a tie with the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Eugenio Suarez. The Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh owns the major league lead with 39.
The Twins tied the game 1-1 on Lewis’ home run in the third, his fifth. Lewis, from nearby Orange County, Calif., had a productive homecoming with three hits Monday, three RBIs Tuesday and his third home run in four games Wednesday.
The Dodgers loaded the bases in the seventh on a single from Freeman and walks to Andy Pages and pinch hitter Miguel Rojas. Tommy Edman looped a single into right field against Louis Varland to take a 2-1 advantage.
Minnesota worked three consecutive walks against Los Angeles right-hander Kirby Yates to open the eighth. Willi Castro grounded into a double play against Alex Vesia that brought home the tying run, then Bader followed with a pinch-hit single just over the mound for a 3-2 lead.
Dodgers left-hander Anthony Banda (5-1) fanned three in a scoreless ninth inning.
–Field Level Media
