Latest news with #Dodgers'
New York Post
9 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Shohei Ohtani homers in fifth game in row, tying Dodgers franchise record
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani homered for the fifth consecutive game on Wednesday, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record. Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year. Advertisement Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered in the first inning off Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack. He hit a slow curveball 441 feet to center. He carried the bat midway down the first-base line and then did a bat flip. Advertisement He didn't hit a home run later in the game with the Dodgers trailing, but his presence was felt. With two outs and the Twins leading by one run, Rocco Baldelli elected to put Ohtani — the potential winning run — on base. Esteury Ruiz drew a walk to load the bases, setting the stage for Freddie Freeman, who delivered a two-run hit to left field. 3 Shohei Ohtani watches his solo homer leave the yard during the first inning of the Dodgers' 4-3 win over the Twins on July 23, 2025. Getty Images Advertisement Betts and Ohtani scored to give the struggling Dodgers a much-needed 4-3 win. Ohtani did not speak to the media after the game. 'It was the right decision,' Dave Roberts said of Baldelli intentionally walking Ohtani. 'He's got five in a row now (games with homers), which is pretty impressive. He continues to use the big part of the field and hit breaking balls, hit fastballs, so that's been really good. And so that's been really good. And yeah, I mean, Shohei comes up with a chance to win the game so you got to take your chances with their closer and against Esteury (Ruiz). And fortunately, Esteury put together a good at bat to get Freddie up there.' 3 Shohei Ohtani, hitting a long ball in the first inning in the Dodgers' win, has homered in five consecutive games. AP Advertisement Asked if he was surprised the Twins made that move, Roberts said: 'No, no, I wasn't surprised. It was the right decision. Just didn't work out.' This is the seventh time in Dodgers history that a player has homered in five consecutive games. Ohtani joins Max Muncy, Joc Pederson, Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp, Shawn Green and Roy Campanella in that club. Ohtani, a three-time MVP, is batting .276 with 70 RBIs. He's also pitched well in six games and is scheduled to throw four innings on Monday in Cincinnati as he is getting close in his buildup as a starter, coming back from his second right UCL repair surgery. 3 Shohei Ohtani tosses his bat after belting a solo homer in the first inning of the Dodgers' win over the Twins. AP With an off day on Thursday, Ohtani's next chance to see if he can homer in six consecutive games will be against the Red Sox in Boston. The record for consecutive games with a home run is eight, which has been held for a long time by Dale Long, Ken Griffey Jr. and Don Mattingly. Griffey Jr. was the last player to do it in 1993. Roberts was asked if he thinks Ohtani can reach eight consecutive games. 'Well, I don't know that answer,' Roberts said. 'I do know that if he has the same approach that he's had the last week, that Green Monster is very short. So any fly ball that he hits will be a homer. So he's just got to continue to have that same approach when we go to Boston, and then we'll see what happens.'
Tokyo Weekender
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Tokyo Weekender
Ohtani Hits Fifth Home Run in Consecutive Games, Tying Dodgers Record
On Wednesday afternoon, Shohei Ohtani smashed his fifth home run in as many games, and in doing so tied the Dodgers franchise record. Six other Dodgers' players have achieved the feat before, the last being Max Muncy in 2019. The two-way superstar will now look to become the first player in the Los Angeles club's history to hit six in-a-row when they meet the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. List of Contents: Ohtani Shines Despite Dodgers Bad Form Ohtani Leads National League Home Run Table Related Posts Ohtani Shines Despite Dodgers Bad Form Last Saturday, Ohtani hit his 33rd homer of the season and had three RBIs in the Dodgers' 8-7 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers. His 34th came the following day against the same opponents, giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. The Brewers fought back, though, to win the game 6-5, inflicting a 10th defeat in 12 games for the team that lifted the 2024 World Series trophy. On Monday, Ohtani became the first pitcher in over 45 years to give up and hit a homer in the first inning of the same game as the Dodgers defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-2. It was the 11th time in his career that he recorded three home runs in consecutive games. Against the same opponents the next day, he became the first ever Japanese player to make it four in-a-row in Major League Baseball. It was the Twins , though, that won the game 10-7. Ohtani Leads National League Home Run Table Ohtani's 37th home run of the season came from a Chris Paddack curveball as the Dodgers defeated the Twins 4-3. Striking the ball hard, he cleared the center field fence. The last MLB player to go deep in five consecutive games was Aaron Judge last September. Ohtani is now the home run leader in the National League, ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks' infielder Eugenio Suárez, who has 36. The Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh leads the way in the American League with 39. Discover Tokyo, Every Week Get the city's best stories, under-the-radar spots and exclusive invites delivered straight to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy . Related Posts Shohei Ohtani Denies Any Involvement in Gambling Scandal Shohei Ohtani's Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara Fired After 'Massive Theft' Claim Ohtani Produces One of the Greatest Ever Individual MLB Performances
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers Predicted to Trade For an 'Impact Bat' to Replace Michael Conforto
Dodgers Predicted to Trade For an 'Impact Bat' to Replace Michael Conforto originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the best offenses in baseball. Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith have the Dodgers second in baseball in team OPS at .776. But, even with a strong offense, Fabian Ardaya in The Athletic's "Bold Predictions" article had the Dodgers' trade deadline plans revolving around finding more offense. He predicts that "The biggest deadline acquisition will be a bat." "They have three former MVPs and the current leader in the NL batting race." Ardaya wrote. "They have a bigger priority in the bullpen that they'll need to address. But one way to mitigate all the questions about the Dodgers' pitching staff is to create a lineup with no holes." The Dodgers offense is already strong, and the pitching staff is full of question marks, and yet, Ardaya predicts that the Dodgers will go after an offensive upgrade. And there's one clear way to upgrade the offense: replace Michael Conforto. "The Dodgers clearly saw that in adding Michael Conforto this winter," Ardaya writes, "But that hasn't worked out - he has a .620 OPS. If they can find a way to add an impact bat, they can move around the pieces to make everything else work." Other than Conforto's .620 OPS this season, he has -0.6 WAR, and is batting just .184 on the year. His 76 OPS+ is by far the worst in his career, nearly 20 percent worse than his previous career low of 95 OPS+ in 2016. Adding a replacement for Conforto would go a long way. If they find a new left fielder, the Dodgers' lineup would be, from top to bottom, one of the most dangerous in the league. While pitching is still a need, and Ardaya isn't shutting down the possibility of adding bullpen help especially, the biggest addition according to his prediction will be a bat. And the most obvious player to replace is Conforto in left field. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers put Tanner Scott on IL, but hopeful he returns this season
The Dodgers still want, and need, to acquire a reliever in the next nine days. But, at some point after July 31 trade deadline, they are hopeful of adding Tanner Scott back into the bullpen mix too. In what could be the latest bullet the Dodgers have dodged on the injury front recently, Scott was put on the injured list Tuesday with what was initially described as 'elbow inflammation' — preserving hope that his season might not be over after exiting Monday's game with a 'stinging sensation' in his forearm. As of Tuesday afternoon, manager Dave Roberts and general manager Brandon Gomes said the club was awaiting its medical staff to fully review the results of an MRI that Scott had earlier in the day. But both noted that Scott, who turned 31 on Tuesday, reported improvement in his elbow compared to how he felt Monday, when he walked off the mound flexing his throwing arm after spiking a slider in the dirt during the ninth inning of the Dodgers' series-opening win over the Minnesota Twins. 'Tanner came in feeling pretty good,' Gomes said, 'so we'll wait to see the full report and go from there.' 'I'm still hopeful that we'll get Tanner back at some point,' Roberts added. Scott has underwhelmed in the first season of his four-year, $72-million contract with the team, posting a 4.14 ERA in 47 outings with only 19 saves in 26 opportunities. However, losing him for the season would have been a significant blow to a Dodgers team that has already seen key reliever Evan Phillips undergo Tommy John surgery, and navigated around long-term injuries to Blake Treinen (who is nearing the completion of a rehab assignment), Michael Kopech (who is hopeful of returning from the 60-day injured list when eligible in late August) and Brusdar Graterol (who is still expected back from an offseason shoulder surgery that has sidelined him all year). 'He's not throwing the baseball as well as he's gonna be throwing the baseball,' Roberts said, maintaining hope not only that Scott will return but also flash improved form down the stretch this year. 'But just to have somebody that's there, that takes the baseball, has been huge.' Of course, Scott's troubles (along with similar scuffles from fellow offseason signing Kirby Yates) have highlighted the need for the Dodgers to target another high-leverage reliever at this year's deadline and bolster a bullpen that ranks 24th in ERA and a far-and-away first in innings pitched. Before Scott's injury Monday, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said 'any time a needle-moving player is available, we're gonna get involved,' when asked how aggressive the team will be in addressing its bullpen need. To that end, there should be no shortage of attractive options, with as many as nine top relievers expected to be available to some degree — from Minnesota Twins flamethrower Jhoan Durán, to multi-time All-Stars like Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians and David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates, to established veteran closers such as the Tampa Bay Rays' Pete Fairbanks and Baltimore Orioles' Félix Bautista, and maybe even young Athletics star Mason Miller. Outside of St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Ryan Helsley, however, almost all of this year's biggest relief targets are under team control beyond this season. That means acquisition costs will be high; at least in the eyes of a Dodgers' front office that has long been wary of overspending on relievers at the deadline. 'The prices are always crazy come the deadline,' Gomes said. 'That's why we did everything we could this offseason to not have to be in the position to buy.' The Dodgers do have internal depth they like. This week, the team called up Edgardo Henriquez, a hard-throwing right-hander who missed the start of the year with a broken foot, and Alexis Diaz, the former All-Star closer for the Cincinnati Reds. Friedman also suggested that, with Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki working toward returns from injury, there could be surplus starting pitchers who eventually get moved into the bullpen later this year. 'We feel like we're gonna get to a place where we're not gonna have enough starting pitcher spots for our starting pitching,' Friedman said. 'So there could be some spillover of that into the bullpen.' However, adding another high-leverage arm to the back end of the group remains a priority. Had Scott been lost for the year, that burden only would've grown. 'Once we get Dr. ElAttrache's take on it, we'll obviously have more clarity,' said Roberts, who plans to go closer-by-committee in Scott's absence. 'But right now, him talking to the training staff, we feel good about it.'
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
‘Still a threat.' Why Shohei Ohtani needs to remain a two-player for the Dodgers
The day after he pitches, Shohei Ohtani turns into Michael Conforto. Ohtani has played four games on days following his starts, and he's taken a total of 15 at-bats in them. He's collected just one hit. He's struck out six times. Ohtani pitched three innings in the Dodgers' 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night, which led to manager Dave Roberts being asked about Ohtani's anticipated Confortization on Tuesday. 'In the batter's box, he's certainly still a threat,' Roberts said. 'So I don't think right now we're giving that too much thought.' Good. Suspicions that Ohtani's pitching has negatively affected Ohtani's hitting have become almost immaterial. Ohtani will remain a two-way player. He will remain a two-way player for the remainder of the regular season, and he will remain a two-way player in October. He should provide more than a couple of innings here and there. He should be a full-blown starter. Because he wants to. Because the Dodgers need him to. Ohtani is the best hitter on a team that can't hit much of anything lately. He is the best pitcher on a team with an injury-ravaged pitching staff that sustained another likely loss on Monday night when closer Tanner Scott departed the game with forearm pain. His value as a two-way player was evident in the opening game of the three-game series against the Twins, as he gave up a leadoff homer to Byron Buxton and returned the favor by crushing a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. The 2-1 lead was gradually extended, by a pair of solo home runs by Will Smith and another bases-empty shot by Andy Pages. Ohtani pitched three innings, the damage inflicted against him limited to Buxton's homer even though he was plagued by control problems. Ohtani struck out three batters and was charged with four hits and a walk while throwing 46 pitches. 'I thought I wanted to go four innings, but my pitch count was piling up,' Ohtani said in Japanese. He will be extended to four innings in his next start, Roberts said. The Dodgers might need every one of them, considering they have lost 10 of their last 13 games. Ohtani didn't know it at the time, but he spent six seasons preparing for something like this. On the Angels, he was a great player on a horrible team, which is what the Dodgers are at this moment. The sorry state of the team didn't stop Ohtani from trying to carry it then, and that's not stopping him from trying to carry it now. 'I think he's very mindful of where our team is right now,' Roberts said. 'I feel he's trying to will his way to kind of getting us over the hump. He's competing. He's taking really good at-bats. And he's fighting. So I love what he's doing.' Ohtani has homered in each of the last three games. 'There's just an extra level of focus I see in the decision-making at the plate,' Roberts said. Roberts observed that Ohtani wasn't driven by personal glory. He pointed to how Ohtani offered no resistance when he said he wanted to switch him and Mookie Betts in the batting order, with Ohtani dropping from the leadoff to No. 2 spot. Ohtani batted first in every game until Sunday when Roberts moved a slumping Betts to the top of the lineup with hopes of jump-starting his season. When Roberts texted Ohtani his thoughts the previous night, Ohtani replied by telling him to do whatever was best for the team, even if that meant batting him ninth. 'I have absolutely no problem with it,' Ohtani said. 'What's most important is that everyone can hit comfortably.' Ohtani's homers in the last two games came right after Betts reached base in front of him, with a single on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers and with a walk on Monday against Twins starter David Festa. 'He wants to win,' Roberts said of Ohtani. 'I think that him playing every day, him pitching, him taking walks when needed and switching spots with Mookie in the order, whatever is in the best interest of the ballclub, that's what he's doing.' Ohtani is now 31. There are questions about whether his body can still withstand the workload required to play both ways, and rightfully so. But as the Dodgers have trudged through this midseason slump, Ohtani has revealed the spirit that was fundamental in making him the best player in the world. Roberts will wager the season on it. He has no other option.
