For a moment on Tuesday night, the Dodgers’ dugout was filled with smiles and laughter.
After weeks of a slump and no home runs in the last 13 games, Shohei Ohtani finally broke through with a solo homer in the third inning. This was a brief moment of relief for him and his struggling team.
Upon returning to the dugout, Ohtani smiled bashfully as his teammates welcomed him with a playful celebration. He joked to starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, saying, “You should get the ball back,” mimicking the hand gesture usually made for a first career hit.
It felt good, but the joy was short-lived.
As the game continued, the Dodgers faltered, ultimately losing 6-2 to the San Francisco Giants. This marks their fourth consecutive loss, reinforcing their ongoing struggles with offense and shaky performances.
Manager Dave Roberts commented, “If we don’t capitalize on our chances, we won’t score many runs. Our opportunities have shrunk, making it tougher to attack.” Since April 18, the Dodgers have a 9-14 record, one of the worst in the league.
Ohtani went 2-for-4, breaking a rough 4-for-38 streak, adding three home runs along with a single that contributed to the team’s first run of the evening. But obviously, it wasn’t enough to lift the Dodgers (24-18) from their slump. Yamamoto allowed three home runs and five runs in 6 1/3 innings, while the rest of the batting lineup struggled, leaving eight players on base with only two hits.
The pivotal moment came in the fifth inning when Yamamoto surrendered consecutive home runs to San Francisco’s No. 8 and 9 hitters, Harrison Bader and Eric Haas, flipping a 2-1 Dodgers lead into a 3-2 deficit.
Then, in the seventh, the Giants scored three runs after Blake Treinen replaced Yamamoto, struggling under pressure. Freddie Freeman scored with a squeeze bunt, and Jung Hoo Lee’s double brought in two more runs.
As quickly as joy appeared, it faded for the Dodgers. Will Smith had a potential extra base hit taken away by a remarkable catch from Lee in right field, and they squandered a chance to load the bases in the first inning. Later, they left the bases loaded in the eighth inning, missing their best opportunity for a comeback.
Another frustrating loss added to their woes.
“We’ve been struggling to capitalize,” Tucker noted. “We just need to execute better and, in some cases, avoid those situations altogether.”
What It Means
The Dodgers’ slump became evident after losing two of three to the Giants last month. They aimed to clear their names against a Giants team that was on a downward trend, having lost nine of their last twelve games. Yet, they’ve gone just 1-4 against the Giants this season, scoring only nine runs across five games.
Offense remains a pressing issue. Tuesday marked the tenth time in 13 games where they failed to score three runs or more.
To make matters worse, this was their fourth loss in a row by four or more runs, a repeat of a grim record last noted in 1936.
Who Is Hot
Ohtani’s return to form is promising.
His first hit of the night was a simple ground ball single through the right side, not quite what one might expect. However, his homer was a significant moment as it ended a two-week drought, being only his second in 109 at-bats. Roberts highlighted that Ohtani used the whole field on that hit, something he had struggled with this season.
“Tonight was really good for him,” Roberts remarked. “He’ll look to keep that momentum going in Anaheim and San Diego.”
Unfortunately for Ohtani, he will sit out the next two games. Manager Roberts made this call ahead of the game, knowing Ohtani had been struggling at .200 over his last 26 games and felt the offense needed a reset.
Roberts emphasized that he wouldn’t change the plan just because Ohtani had a good outing, noting, “We’ve discussed the workload thoroughly. It’s tough to pitch and play in the same game. It’s not fair to expect he should play the next day following a good performance.”
Who Is Not?
Yamamoto, who started off strong this season, seems to be falling away from that form. His recent game against the Giants was easily his worst this season.
Not only did he give up the most runs in a game this year, but he also allowed at least three runs in four straight outings, raising his ERA to 3.60 and more than 5.00 as of late. Alarmingly, he’s given up eight home runs already, more than double the number he allowed throughout last season.
To The Next
The Dodgers and Giants will continue their four-game series on Wednesday night, with Ohtani (2-2, 0.97 ERA) set to pitch against Robbie Ray (3-4, 2.76 ERA).
