Ohtani sets tone with leadoff homer in Dodgers' win over Guardians
Shohei Ohtani homered on the first pitch of the game and scored three runs, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto went six strong innings as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-2 on Monday night.
Ohtani took over the MLB lead with 19 home runs — one more than Yankees superstar Aaron Judge and Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber — by sending Gavin Williams' fastball into the stands in right field. He also leads baseball with 57 runs.
It was Ohtani's third career leadoff homer on a first pitch and the third first-pitch homer allowed by Williams this season. The reigning National League MVP went deep on the second pitch Sunday while leading off in a 3-1 loss at the New York Mets.
Yamamoto (6-3) struck out seven, giving up two runs on three hits and remaining second-best in the NL with a 1.97 ERA. The right-hander also made a terrific play in the third, outsprinting Will Wilson to the bag after he bunted past first baseman Freddie Freeman.
All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez extended his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games for the Guardians, doubling and scoring on Kyle Manzardo's single in the sixth.
Cleveland and Los Angeles are both 4-6 in their last 10.
Williams (4-3) walked a season-high six and allowed four runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings, throwing 41 pitches in the fifth — just three of which were put in play — before being chased. The righty is 0-3 with a 13.03 ERA in his career against the Dodgers.
Andy Pages singled in Will Smith in the second to extend Los Angeles' lead to 2-0, but the Guardians got on the board in the third when Gabriel Arias scored on a fielder's choice by Steven Kwan.
The Dodgers made it 4-1 in the fifth on Teoscar Hernandez's RBI single and Max Muncy's sacrifice fly, then added two more in the sixth on back-to-back singles by Mookie Betts and Freeman. Smith hit a solo homer in the ninth.
Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana was held out of the lineup for the second day in a row with a tight hamstring.
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