Shohei Ohtani will proceed his quest for baseball’s first 50-50 season when the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon within the finale of a three-game collection. Within the collection opener Friday, Ohtani stole a base and hit a game-ending grand slam to change into the sixth major-leaguer to achieve 40 steals and 40 residence runs in the identical season. He added a go-ahead residence run within the fifth inning Saturday earlier than the Rays rallied for a 9-8 victory in 10 innings. Teoscar Hernandez and Miguel Rojas additionally hit a house run for the Dodgers, who noticed their five-game successful streak finish. The Dodgers’ lead within the Nationwide League West was minimize to 3 video games over the Arizona Diamondbacks, whereas the San Diego Padres remained 4 1/2 video games again. Regardless of the loss, the Dodgers have received 11 of their final 15 video games. That stretch contains having the membership’s prime two starters — Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto — on the injured record. “What I believe it sparks for this group, as they get nearer to September and October, is an acute sense of the place we’re within the season, the place we’re at within the standings, and embracing that,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated of the momentum Ohtani has helped to create. “You see the at-bats, one by means of 9 (within the lineup), are rather more aggressive.” Los Angeles will ship rookie right-hander Gavin Stone (11-5, 3.44 ERA) to the mound Sunday. Stone made simply 4 begins final season, however one begin was in opposition to the Rays. He obtained a no-decision regardless of being blasted for seven runs on 10 hits in two innings. On Saturday, it was the Rays’ flip to hit some clutch residence runs. Junior Caminero tied the sport within the ninth inning with a solo shot, and Jose Caballero ripped a go-ahead, two-run blast within the tenth that ended up being the distinction. In his eleventh recreation this season, Caminero has simply two residence runs, and each have come up to now two video games in opposition to the Dodgers. Tampa Bay additionally scored 4 runs within the first inning Saturday in opposition to Dodgers veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw and 5 runs complete off him in 5 innings. A pair of former Dodgers contributed to the Rays’ trigger, with Jonny DeLuca hitting a two-run single within the first inning and Garrett Cleavinger pitching the tenth inning to earn his fourth save. Cleavinger’s first out within the inning got here on a towering fly ball from Ohtani, who was representing the tying run. The Rays are 3-3 on a 10-game journey and can ship left-hander Jacob Lopez (0-0, 8.44 ERA) to the mound to begin Sunday’s contest. Lopez final pitched within the majors on Might 5, permitting one run and two walks in 1 1/3 innings of a no-decision vs. the New York Mets. Lopez, who has but to face the Dodgers in his profession, was 4-6 with a 4.08 ERA in 17 appearances (15 begins) with Triple-A Durham. Lopez might give strategy to right-hander Shane Baz (1-2, 3.48) in a while Sunday afternoon. Baz’s lone win of the season got here in his eighth begin Tuesday when he held the Oakland Athletics scoreless on three hits over 7 2/3 innings in a 1-0 victory. “It felt good,” stated Baz, who’s coming back from Tommy John surgical procedure this season. “I felt that I attacked properly. Received forward of loads of guys, and that all the time helps. It felt good, glad I might put us in an opportunity to win and that we pulled it out.” Baz would face the Dodgers for the primary time in his profession. –Discipline Stage Media
