Shohei Ohtani hits 41st homer one night after joining 40-40 club

It simply wasn’t fairly sufficient to steer the Dodgers to victory.

Ohtani hit his forty first dwelling run of the season with a two-run shot to place the Dodgers in entrance, however a late bullpen collapse despatched them to a 9-8 loss to the Rays in 10 innings on Saturday night time at Dodger Stadium.

The loss snapped the Dodgers’ five-game profitable streak and shrank their result in three video games within the Nationwide League West standings over the D-backs, who beat the Crimson Sox earlier within the day.

With the Dodgers trailing 5-4 and a runner on within the fifth inning, Ohtani bought a Taj Bradley splitter on the outer half and pulled it down the right-field line into the primary row of seats subsequent to the foul pole for a go-ahead blast. The homer traveled a Statcast-projected 338 toes, the shortest dwelling run of Ohtani’s profession.

“Large spot,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “It is good hitting within the sense of it is one thing that it wasn’t a fastball, it was down beneath the zone, and he did not come out of his swing. He stayed sq., and was capable of have sufficient behind it to maintain it truthful and hit it out of the ballpark.”

Ohtani has 41 dwelling runs and 40 stolen bases on the season as he strikes nearer to turning into the one member of the 50-50 membership. It was his sixth dwelling run in his final 12 video games and got here on the identical day he threw off a mound for the primary time since having elbow surgical procedure final September.

“Cannot say sufficient,” stated Clayton Kershaw, who allowed 5 runs in 5 innings however was in line for the win due to Ohtani’s homer. “I do not know what else you’ll be able to say. It is simply each night time there’s one thing particular that he does, all of the whereas rehabbing and attempting to get able to pitch. It is fairly exceptional.”

Miguel Rojas added a solo dwelling run to increase the Dodgers’ result in 7-5, however the bullpen couldn’t maintain it. Michael Kopech loaded the bases with no outs earlier than surrendering a sacrifice fly to carry the Rays inside a run within the eighth. Within the ninth, Evan Phillips served up a 418-foot, game-tying dwelling run to Junior Caminero to steer off.

Jose Caballero added the ultimate blow with a two-run homer within the prime of the tenth in opposition to Joe Kelly.

Kelly now has a 4.85 ERA on the yr, though he was coming off three consecutive scoreless outings.

“I believe there’s generally he is available in and he is lights out, and different instances, he labors,” Roberts stated. “I do not know if it is one thing we’ve bought to dig into or what it’s. However it’s definitely been inconsistent.”

That the Dodgers had been in place to win within the first place was largely because of Ohtani’s efforts.

Kershaw bought rocked for 4 runs within the prime of the primary inning to place the Dodgers in a direct gap. He recovered to permit only one run in his remaining 4 innings, however the Rays nonetheless hit him onerous.

General, Tampa Bay hit eight balls with exit velocities of over 100 mph off Kershaw.

“That first inning cannot occur,” Kershaw stated. “Get our group behind that a lot that early, it is robust to come back again from.”

Ohtani, although, was there to choose him up. With the group trailing 4-0 within the fourth, Ohtani reached on a catcher’s interference to present the Dodgers their first baserunner for the reason that first inning – when Ohtani led off with a single.

Mookie Betts adopted with an RBI double into the left-field nook to place the Dodgers on the board, and Teoscar Hernández belted a two-run homer two batters later to chop the deficit to 4-3.

The Rays added one other run within the prime of the fifth to re-extend the lead, nevertheless it didn’t final lengthy.

Max Muncy’s excessive fly ball dropped into shallow left subject on a miscommunication by the Rays protection, Miguel Rojas introduced him dwelling with an RBI single, and Ohtani gave the Dodgers the lead one batter later along with his lined shot into the nook.

“For him to remain by way of the baseball speaks to the place he is at,” Roberts stated. “It is actually onerous to do, and a very good swing”

Even in a loss, Ohtani’s influence was felt. He completed 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored, two RBIs and offered one remaining thrill within the tenth.

Going through left-hander Garrett Cleavinger to steer off the tenth because the tying run on the plate, Ohtani hit a towering fly ball to proper subject that left his bat at 99.4 mph however fell simply in need of the warning observe.

Off the bat, Roberts thought he had hit a game-tying dwelling run.

“I did,” Roberts stated. “A troublesome at-bat versus a left-hander, and I hoped he bought simply sufficient of it. He nonetheless took an excellent swing.”