The Dodgers could only score four runs on Wednesday, but it was enough to finish off a sweep of the Minnesota Twins.
The Dodgers went down in order against Joe Ryan in the top of the first inning, but Mookie Betts began the second inning with a solo home run to left-center to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. It was Betts’s 300th career home run, becoming the first Dodger to reach that accolade since J.D. Martinez back in 2023. Betts would finish the game 3-4 on the night and was a triple shy of the team’s first cycle in nine years.
The Twins responded with a trio of singles from Victor Caratini, Brooks Lee and Tristan Gray to load the bases with just one out. Shohei Ohtani’s first pitch to Ryan Kreidler got away from Dalton Rushing and rolled into the dugout to tie the game. Kreidler drove home the other two runners with a single up the middle as the Twins took the lead, giving Ohtani a third consecutive start of at least three runs allowed.
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Alex Freeland led off the third inning with a double against Ryan, and Ohtani made up for the three-run inning with an RBI single up the middle to trim the deficit to one. A walk to Freddie Freeman and a single from Betts loaded the bases with just one out, and Muncy tied the game with his second hit of the game to plate Ohtani. Alex Call hit a fly ball to shallow right field for the second out, but the throw from Kody Clemens was cut off by Royce Lewis, allowing Freeman to score and as the Dodgers retook a one run lead.
After Ohtani retired his next five hitters in a row after the second, including four strikeouts, he allowed a two-out walk to Lee before Gray roped a double down the right field line to put both the potential tying and go-ahead runners on with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kreidler once again hit one up the middle, but a nice defensive play from Betts ended the threat.
Ohtani would not allow another baserunner after the fourth inning, as he registered another quality start on 89 pitches over six full innings. Ohtani’s eight strikeouts on Wednesday are the most he’s had in a start since he struck out eight against the San Francisco Giants on May 13. After allowing two earned runs, Ohtani’s ERA now jumps up to 1.58 on the season, which still places him second in baseball behind Milwaukee Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski.
Kyle Hurt was the first man out of the bullpen in relief of Ohtani, and he found himself in trouble by walking a pair of hitters to put both the tying and go-ahead runners on base with two outs. Against the dangerous Byron Buxton, Hurt got him to fly out in foul territory to complete a 26-pitch scoreless seventh inning.
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Former Dodgers Anthony Banda and Yoendrys Gómez pitched in relief of Ryan, with both relievers tossing a scoreless inning in their first appearances against their old team this year.
Alex Vesia was one out away from a perfect bottom of the eighth inning, but singles from Caratini and Royce Lewis once again put both the tying and go-ahead runners on base with two outs. Vesia got Lee to chase at a fastball high and away to end the threat and preserve the one-run lead heading into the ninth inning.
Tanner Scott came in for the save opportunity, and he immediately put the tying run on base as Austin Martin slapped a pinch-hit, leadoff single. Scott needed one pitch to get Kreidler to fly out, and he got pinch-hitter Luke Keaschall to strike out for the second out. Scott worked the count full against Buxton, but he got him to swing out in front of a slider at the knees to complete the sweep. It is the first time the Dodgers had a three-game sweep against the Twins at Target Field since 2014.
Game particulars
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Home runs: Mookie Betts (9)
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WP– Shohei Ohtani (8-2): 6 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
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LP– Joe Ryan (5-4): 6 IP, 8 hits, 4 earned runs, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
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SV– Tanner Scott (11): 1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
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The Dodgers are off on Thursday as they fly down to San Diego to begin a three-game set with the Padres at Petco Park on Friday (6:45 p.m., Apple TV+). Roki Sasaki faces old friend Walker Buehler.
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