Game Recap
The Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a three-game skid with an 8-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night. Teoscar Hernández lined a tiebreaking homer to left field to lead off the eighth inning, and the Dodgers never looked back. Shohei Ohtani had a triple and two doubles, contributing to the team’s victory.
Early Game Action
The Pirates took an early lead when Oneil Cruz smacked Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki’s first pitch of the game over the center-field wall for his eighth homer of the season. However, the Dodgers responded in the bottom of the first, with Ohtani doubling and Teoscar Hernández driving him in with a two-bagger. An error by Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier allowed Hernández to score, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
Mid-Game Shift
The Pirates went ahead 3-2 in the fifth on Cruz’s 111 mph RBI single. But the Dodgers tied it up in the sixth when Ohtani hit a one-out triple to right and scored on Freddie Freeman’s two-out single. The game remained neck and neck until the seventh, when the Pirates took a 4-3 lead on Bryan Reynolds’ RBI grounder.
Turning Point
The Dodgers tied it up in the bottom of the seventh on Ohtani’s run-scoring double. Then, in the eighth, Teoscar Hernández took Colin Holderman deep, and pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández followed with a three-run home run against Joey Wentz. This decisive inning sealed the win for the Dodgers.
Key Moment
With runners on second and third and two outs in the seventh, Dodgers first baseman Freeman made a backhand diving stop of Emmanuel Valdez’s grounder and threw from his knees to reliever Evan Phillips for the out. This impressive play prevented the Pirates from taking a larger lead and set the stage for the Dodgers’ comeback.
Key Stat
Ohtani, whose wife, Mamiko Tanaka, gave birth to a girl on April 19, had been 2 for 16 with six strikeouts during his first four games back from paternity leave before breaking out of the slump Saturday night. His triple and two doubles were crucial to the Dodgers’ victory.
Up Next
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 3.71 ERA) will start the series finale for the Dodgers. Left-hander Bailey Falter (1-2, 5.19 ERA) will pitch for the Pirates.
Conclusion
The Dodgers’ win over the Pirates was a much-needed boost after a three-game skid. With Teoscar Hernández’s tiebreaking homer and Shohei Ohtani’s impressive performance, the team is looking to build momentum for the rest of the season.
FAQs
- Who hit the tiebreaking homer for the Dodgers? Teoscar Hernández
- What was the final score of the game? 8-4 in favor of the Dodgers
- Who will start the series finale for the Dodgers? Right-hander Tyler Glasnow
- Who will pitch for the Pirates in the series finale? Left-hander Bailey Falter
Teoscar Hernández lined a tiebreaking homer to left field to lead off the eighth inning, Shohei Ohtani had a triple and two doubles, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-4 on Saturday night to snap a three-game skid.
After Hernández took Colin Holderman (0-1) deep, pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández followed with a three-run home run against Joey Wentz, the eighth pinch homer of his career.
The Pirates went ahead on 4-3 in the seventh on Bryan Reynolds’ RBI grounder. The Dodgers tied it in the bottom half on Ohtani’s run-scoring double. Kirby Yates (1-0) worked a scoreless eighth.
Oneil Cruz smacked Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki’s first pitch of the game over the center-field wall for his eighth homer of the season.
In the bottom of the first, Ohtani doubled, Teoscar Hernández drove him in with a two-bagger and and Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier threw away Edman’s grounder for an error, allowing Hernández to score.
Pittsburgh went ahead 3-2 in the fifth on Cruz’s 111 mph RBI single.
Ohtani hit a one-out triple to right in the bottom of the sixth and scored on Freddie Freeman’s two-out single.
