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Tag: Shohei Ohtani

  • Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s show for the ages

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    Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani had the single greatest game of baseball ever on Friday night with 10 strikeouts, three homers and a place in the World Series. Jericka Duncan has the story.

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  • Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani headed back to World Series

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    Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers punched their ticket to a second consecutive World Series last night, in historic fashion. In 2017, Jon Wertheim met Ohtani in Sapporo, and got to know Japan’s most fearsome pitcher and most prolific hitter.

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  • Shohei Ohtani | 60 Minutes Archive

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    Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers punched their ticket to a second consecutive World Series last night, in historic fashion. In 2017, Jon Wertheim met Ohtani in Sapporo, and got to know Japan’s most fearsome pitcher and most prolific hitter.

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  • Shohei Ohtani makes MLB history to send Dodgers back to the World Series

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    Shohei Ohtani did something never before seen in MLB history Friday night.

    The Japanese phenom hit three home runs and pitched six scoreless innings, leading the Dodgers back to the World Series. Los Angeles finished a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Championship Series with a 5-1 victory in Game 4. 

    According to MLB.com Ohtani is now the only player in league history to hit multiple home runs in a game he pitched. He reached that milestone with his second homer in the fourth inning and added a third in the seventh. He also struck out 10 batters over six scoreless innings.

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    Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with third base coach/outfield coach Dino Ebel (91) as he runs home to score after hitting a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

    Before Friday, only 12 MLB players in history had hit three home runs in a postseason game, and just 26 pitchers had struck out at at least 10 without allowing a run. Now Ohtani is on both those lists and is the only player to do both in the same game.

    Fans and sports analysts on social media called it one of the greatest performances in baseball history, with ESPN and MLB Network highlighting the unprecedented combination of pitching and hitting dominance. 

    BREWERS FAN LOSES JOB AFTER IMPLORING SHE WOULD ‘CALL ICE’ ON HISPANIC DODGERS SUPPORTER: REPORT

    Ohtani’s Dodgers are the first team to win back-to-back pennants since Philadelphia in 2009. Los Angeles is back in the World Series for the fifth time in nine seasons, and it will attempt to become baseball’s first repeat champs since the New York Yankees won three straight World Series from 1998 to 2000.

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    Shohei Ohtani

    Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning of game four of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium.  (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images)

    Los Angeles will have a week off before the World Series begins next Friday, either in Toronto or at Dodger Stadium against Seattle. The Mariners beat the Blue Jays 6-2 earlier Friday to take a 3-2 lead in the ALCS, which continues Sunday at the Rogers Centre.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

    Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

    Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

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  • Shohei Ohtani’s legendary three-homer, 10-strikeout game sends Dodgers back to the World Series

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    The roar inside Dodger Stadium didn’t fade. It never could. Not after what they had just witnessed — something no one had ever seen, and maybe never will again. It was disbelief that turned to awe, awe that turned to joy, and joy that turned into pure pandemonium.

    Because on this October night in Chavez Ravine, under the bright lights and endless California sky, Shohei Ohtani authored a masterpiece — one that will live forever in baseball history.

    For the rest of time, they will call it, The Shohei Ohtani Game.

    Shohei Ohtani hit three homers and struck out ten, as he led the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-1, in Game 4 of the NLCS, in a legendary performance that sent them back to the World Series.

    “That was the greatest postseason performance of all time. There’s been a lot of postseason games. And there’s a reason why he’s the greatest player on the planet,” said Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts of his superstar. “What he did on the mound, what he did at the bat, he created a lot of memories for a lot of people. So for us to have a game-clinching — to do it in a game-clinching game at home, wins the NLCS MVP, pretty special. I’m just happy to be able to go along for the ride.”

    For six innings, Ohtani was untouchable. His fastball sizzled at 99 mph, his splitter dropped like it was falling off a cliff, and the Milwaukee Brewers could do nothing but chase shadows. Ten strikeouts. Two hits. Six scoreless innings. A performance that alone would’ve made this night legendary.

    But that was only half of it.

    In the bottom of the first, with the crowd still buzzing from watching him strike out the side in the top half, Ohtani dug into the batter’s box — and unleashed a thunderclap. The ball soared 446 feet into the night, halfway to the moon, and landed deep in the right-center bleachers. The Dodgers led 1–0, and Ohtani had already done something no pitcher had ever done in postseason history: hit a leadoff home run.

    Dodger Stadium shook.

    “The last couple days I felt pretty good at the plate,” said Ohtani through a translator. “There were times during the postseason where Teo [Teoscar Hernandez] and Mookie [Betts] picked me up. And this time around it was my turn to be able to perform.”

    Los Angeles would plate two more on an RBI single from Tommy Edman, his third of the series, and a fielder’s choice RBI for Teoscar Hernandez. 

    Milwaukee never recovered. Ohtani carved through them like a man possessed, striking out five of the next seven hitters he faced. When he returned to the plate in the fourth inning, fans were still buzzing from his first homer — and then he hit another.

    Only this time, it didn’t just leave the yard. It left the stadium.

    A 469-foot moonshot, disappearing over the roof of the right-field pavilion and out into centerfield plaza. The third-longest home run in Dodger Stadium history–and Ohtani now has two of them–security guards and fans out in the plaza reportedly saw the ball land in a bush and didn’t know what happened.

    “How far he hit that ball surprised me. He hit it beyond the roof!” said Roberts, still in awe of it all. “This is just a performance that I’ve just never seen. No one’s ever seen something like this.”

    Even the fans had never seen anything like it.

    “I’ve been coming here for 40 years,” said one longtime season-ticket holder, wiping tears from his eyes. “I’ve never seen anything like that. Never.”

    By the seventh inning, with the Dodgers comfortably ahead 4–0, Ohtani came up again. Fans stood before the first pitch. They chanted “MVP!” They sensed it. They felt it in the air, like the way you feel a storm building.

    And when the ball left his bat again — that sweet, familiar sound — there was only one thing to do. Stand and watch.

    Home run number three.

    “I sensed it,” said Roberts. “I wasn’t surprised by the third one. I would have been surprised if he didn’t homer.”

    The dugout went crazy. The stadium quaked. The scoreboard lit up like it had a pulse.

    Ohtani circled the bases quietly, almost humbly, his face calm beneath the fireworks bursting overhead.

    Special doesn’t even begin to describe it.

    When it was over, the Dodgers had won 5–1 — sweeping the Brewers in four games and punching their ticket to the World Series for the second straight year. The pitching staff, almost forgotten amidst Ohtani’s brilliance, allowed just four runs in the entire series.

    But the night belonged to one man.

    The first pitcher ever to hit a leadoff homer in postseason history.

    The first player ever to hit three home runs and strike out ten in the same game — postseason or regular season.

    The first player to make the impossible seem ordinary.

    “We’re like the [Chicago] Bulls, and he’s Michael Jordan,” said teammate Mookie Betts of Ohtani.

    Out on the field, Ohtani embraced his teammates on the mound, as they received the National League pennant trophy. The crowd chanted his name — “Sho-hei, Sho-hei, Sho-hei” — long after the final out.

    Inside the Dodgers’ clubhouse, champagne corks popped, laughter filled the air, and yet somehow, everyone knew what they’d just seen wasn’t just a win. It was history.

    “We’ll never see anything like this in my lifetime,” said Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. “He’s one of one.”

    The only sound left when it was over came from the Dodgers’ dugout — from 26 grown men who, for one night, were all little boys again, celebrating baseball’s rarest magic. Out beyond them, the city glowed, the hills shimmered, and the echoes of what Shohei Ohtani did tonight seemed to hang over the ravine like a halo.

    Because someday, when fans tell their children about the greatest baseball player that ever played the game, they will talk about October 17, 2025 — the night the unicorn became a legend.

    The night baseball belonged to Shohei Ohtani.

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    Michael Duarte

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  • Phillies’ offense detonates to beat Dodgers in Game 3, extend NLDS

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    LOS ANGELES — Tick, tick … boom.

    Kyle Schwarber exploded from his 0-for-22 slump with two home runs, the first a 455-foot ‘Schwarbomb’ that sparked the Philadelphia Phillies as they staved off elimination with an 8-2 victory over the Dodgers in Game 3 of their National League Division Series on Wednesday night.

    The loss was the Dodgers’ first since Sept. 23 in Arizona, ending a nine-game winning streak that included their first four postseason games this year. They have another chance to close out the series at home with Game 4 scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Tyler Glasnow is expected to start for the Dodgers.

    Schwarber and Bryce Harper had gone a combined 1 for 15 in the first two games of this series. They had four hits, two walks, three RBIs and three runs scored in Game 3.

    The National League’s home run leader with 56 during the regular season – and the only possible threat to Shohei Ohtani winning a fourth league MVP award – Schwarber had started this series 0 for 7 with five strikeouts after ending the season hitless in his last 14 at-bats with eight more strikeouts.

    He grounded out harmlessly in his first at-bat against Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Leading off the fourth inning, though, Schwarber got a 2-and-0 fastball up over the plate and destroyed it. The ball left his bat at an Ohtani-like 117.2 mph and wasn’t seen again until it had cleared the right field pavilion roof an estimated 455 feet from home plate.

    Prior to that swing, the Phillies were hanging their hopes on powder-blue retro uniforms and escaping a hostile home environment where apparently the fans are too mean to them.

    But Schwarber’s blast gave them life. Bryce Harper (1 for his first 7 in the series) followed with a single and Alec Bohm made it three consecutive hits when he singled to center field.

    When Harper charged toward third base on Bohm’s hit, Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages made a poor throw that bounced through third base, allowing Harper to score. The throw bounded into the dugout, allowing Bohm to go to third base and score on Brandon Marsh’s sacrifice fly.

    When Yamamoto gave up back-to-back singles in the fifth inning, his night was done. It was his shortest outing since failing to complete four innings against the New York Yankees on June 1.

    The Phillies, meanwhile, were met with skepticism and criticism on the Philadelphia airwaves after Manager Rob Thomson announced Aaron Nola, not Ranger Suarez as the Game 3 starter.

    Unlike the Philly fan base, the Dodgers did not overreact to the decision, going with a lineup that looked more set for the lefty Suarez than the righty Nola.

    It was the appropriate call – Nola lasted just two innings, essentially an extended opener for Suarez. The Dodgers had him on the ropes with a one-out triple by Mookie Betts in the first but they didn’t score until Tommy Edman hit Suarez’s first pitch of the night in the third inning over the wall in left field.

    Thomson’s combo-platter strategy might not have drawn the lineup reaction the Phillies were going for – but it got the results they needed. Nola and Suarez combined to allow just Edman’s run in their combined seven innings.

    The Dodgers put two runners on with two outs in the fourth but Andy Pages popped out. They got two on with one out in the sixth but Max Muncy bounced into a double play.

    By the time Suarez handed the ball off to the bullpen in the eighth inning, the Phillies had started their fall raking, scoring five times on five hits – including home runs by JT Realmuto and Schwarber again (this time a wall-scraper) – off of Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw was pitching in the postseason for the first time since Game 1 of the 2023 NLDS and making his first postseason relief appearance since Game 5 of the 2019 NLDS. Neither of those went well either.

    More to come on this story.

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    Bill Plunkett

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  • Dodgers vs. Phillies: NL Division Series scouting report, prediction

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    SERIES SCHEDULE (all times PT)

    Game 1: Dodgers at Phillies, Saturday, 3:38 p.m., TBS

    Game 2: Dodgers at Phillies, Monday, 3:08 p.m., TBS

    Game 3: Phillies at Dodgers, Wednesday, TBA, TBS

    x-Game 4: Phillies at Dodgers, Thursday, TBA, TBS

    x-Game 5: Dodgers at Phillies, Saturday (Oct. 11), TBA, TBS

    x- if necessary

    Season series: The Phillies won, 4-2.

    TALE OF THE TAPE (OFFENSE)

    Phillies (NL rank) … category … Dodgers (NL rank)

    96-66 (1st in NL East) … Record … 93-69 (1st in NL West)

    778 (5th) … Runs scored … 825 (1st)

    .258 (1st) … Batting avg. … .253 (3rd)

    .328 (2nd) … OBP … .327 (3rd)

    .431 (3rd) … Slugging pct. … .441 (1st)

    .759 (2nd) … OPS … .768 (1st)

    212 (5th) … Home runs … 244 (1st)

    124 (6th) … Stolen bases … 88 (12th)

    TALE OF THE TAPE (PITCHING)

    Phillies (NL rank) … category … Dodgers (NL rank)

    3.79 (4th) … Team ERA … 3.95 (8th)

    3.53 (1st) … Starters ERA … 3.69 (3rd)

    4.27 (T-10th)  … Bullpen ERA … 4.27 (T-10th)

    1.23 (6th) … WHIP … 1.26 (7th)

    9.19 (2nd) … Ks per 9 inns … 9.40 (1st)

    PROJECTED LINEUPS

    PHILLIES: SS Trea Turner (.304/.355/.457, 15 HRs, 69 RBIs, 36 SBs, 94 runs scored), DH Kyle Schwarber (.240/.365/.563, 56 HRs, 132 RBIs, 108 walks), 1B Bryce Harper (.261/.357/.487, 27 HRs, 75 RBIs, 12 SBs), C JT Realmuto (.257/.315/.384, 12 HRs, 52 RBIs), 3B Alec Bohm (.287/.331/.409, 11 HRs, 59 RBIs), LF Brandon Marsh (.280/.342/.443, 11 HRs, 43 RBIs), RF Nick Castellanos (.250/.294/.400, 17 HRs, 72 RBIs), 2B Bryson Stott (.257/.328/.391, 13 HRs, 66 RBIs, 24 SBs), CF Harrison Bader (.277/.347/.449, 17 HRs, 54 RBIs, 11 SBs with Twins and Phillies)

    DODGERS: DH Shohei Ohtani (.282/.392/.622, 55 HRs, 102 RBIs, 20 SBs, 146 runs scored), SS Mookie Betts (.258/.3226/.406, 20 HRs, 82 RBIs, 95 runs scored), 1B Freddie Freeman (.295/.367/.502, 24 HRs, 90 RBIs), 3B Max Muncy (.243/.376/.470, 19 HRs, 87 RBIs), LF Teoscar Hernandez (.247/.284/.454, 25 HRs, 89 RBIs), CF Andy Pages (.272/.313/.461, 27 HRs, 86 RBIs, 14 SBs), 2B Tommy Edman (.225/.274/.382, 13 HRs, 49 RBIs), LF Kiké Hernandez (.203/.255/.366, 10 HRs, 35 RBIs), C Ben Rortvedt (.224/.309/.327, 1 HR, 4 RBIs).

    These two offenses are very similar – first and third in the National League in batting average, second and third in on-base percentage, first and third in slugging percentage, first and second in OPS. Both have a power trio at the top of their lineup – Trea Turner, NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber and former MVP Bryce Harper for Philly, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman for the Dodgers – and a dangerous supporting cast.

    For the first time, the Dodgers find themselves on the opposite side of the debate over the benefits/challenges of a five-day break before opening the postseason.

    “Baseball is a timing game. Does the long layoff ruin that?” pitcher Clayton Kershaw said in 2023 after the Dodgers’ offense was a no-show in back-to-back first-round playoff defeats following the bye break.

    “Look, it’s hard. I mean, pitching maybe not so much, but obviously offensively these guys are so used to playing every day. So I get it. Extra teams and more money, all that stuff (led to the bye format). I get it. But I do think that – I’m not a hitter, but it does seem like it’s a bit of a challenge for guys.”

    Adding to the challenge for the Phillies, Turner missed three weeks in September with a hamstring injury and returned only for the regular-season finale. The Dodgers will still have to match the Phillies’ firepower. Another similarity between the two teams – both are particularly potent at their home ballparks. That could be decisive for the Phillies, who have home-field advantage in the best-of-five series. EDGE: PHILLIES

    STARTING PITCHERS

    PHILLIES: LH Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.50 ERA, 202 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 9.4 Ks per 9 IP), LH Jesus Luzardo (15-7, 3.92 ERA,  1.22 WHIP, 10.6 Ks per 9 IP), LH Ranger Suarez (12-8, 3.20, 1.22 WHIP, 8.6 Ks per 9 IP), RH Aaron Nola (5-10, 6.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 9.3 Ks per 9 IP)

    DODGERS: RH Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 2.87 ERA, 47 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 11.9 Ks per 9 IP), LH Blake Snell (5-4, 2.35 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10.6 Ks per 9 IP), RH Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 10.4 Ks per 9 IP), RH Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 10.6 Ks per 9 IP)

    The Dodgers faced the Phillies’ top three (healthy) starters – Cy Young Award candidate Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Ranger Suarez – during their series at Dodger Stadium just a little over two weeks ago. They got to them for 11 runs in 20 innings. The fact that all three are left-handed would seem to be an advantage for the Phillies, nullifying three of the Dodgers’ key hitters – Ohtani, Freeman and Max Muncy. But Ohtani and Freeman aren’t your typical left-handed hitters. Their splits are fairly even and the Dodgers actually had the best slugging percentage and OPS and second-best batting average against left-handed pitching in the NL this year. The late-season rebirths of Betts and Teoscar Hernandez have been a big part of that.

    Ohtani and Blake Snell also pitched during that September series against the Phillies. Neither gave up a run. Ohtani didn’t give up a hit in his five-inning start. The Dodgers will ask all of their starters to go deep in games in order to minimize the Phillies’ play time against their bullpen. EDGE: DODGERS

    PROJECTED BULLPEN

    PHILLIES: RH Jhoan Duran (7-6, 2.06, 32 saves, 5 blown saves, 1.10 WHIP, 10.3 Ks per 9 IP with Twins and Phillies), RH David Robertson (2-0, 4.08 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 11.2 Ks per 9 IP), LH Tanner Banks (6-2, 1 save, 3.07 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 8.2 Ks per 9 IP), RH Orion Kierkering (8-4, 4 saves, 3.30 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 9.8 Ks per 9 IP), RH Walker Buehler (10-7, 4.93 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 6.6 Ks per 9 IP), LH Matt Strahm (2-3, 6 saves, 2.74 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 10.1 Ks per 9 IP), RH Jordan Romano (2-4, 8 saves, 8.23 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 9.9 Ks per 9 IP), LH Tim Mayza (0-0, 3.78 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 8.1 Ks per 9 IP), RH Taijuan Walker (5-8, 1 save, 4.08 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 6.3 Ks per 9  IP)

    DODGERS: LH Tanner Scott (1-4, 23 saves, 10 blown saves, 4.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 9.5 Ks per 9 IP), RH Blake Treinen (2-7, 2 saves, 5.40 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 12.2 Ks per 9 IP), LH Alex Vesia (4-2, 5 saves, 3.02 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 12.1 Ks per 9 IP), LH Jack Dreyer (3-2, 4 saves, 2.95 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 8.7 Ks per 9 IP), RH Roki Sasaki (1-1, 4.46 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 6.9 Ks per 9 IP in 10 appearances, 8 starts), RH Emmet Sheehan (6-3, 2.82 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 10.9 Ks per 9 IP in 15 appearances, 12 starts), LH Anthony Banda (5-1, 3.18 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8.4 Ks per 9 IP), LH Clayton Kershaw (11-2, 3.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 6.7 Ks per 9 IP), RH Edgardo Henriquez (2-1, 1 save, 2.37 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 8.5 Ks per 9 IP)

    About that series in September – the Dodgers lost two of three games to the Phillies thanks to their faulty bullpen. The Phillies made the most of the Dodgers’ Achilles’ heel, scoring 14 runs in 10⅓ innings against Dodgers relievers (including Anthony Banda who pitched as an opener in one game). The Dodgers have a new weapon since then – Roki Sasaki. His transformation from a shaky rookie starter into a dynamic reliever could transform the Dodgers’ bullpen – but there are still going to be innings that the rest of the relief crew has to cover.

    The Phillies’ bullpen hasn’t been great this season either. Unlike Andrew Friedman, though, Dave Dombrowski pulled the trigger on a big move at the trade deadline, acquiring a new closer in Jhoan Duran. Duran has been good but not impregnable (16 saves, three blown saves) and the setup crew in front of him is unimpressive. Displaced starters like Taijuan Walker, Aaron Nola and former Dodger Walker Buehler (released by the Boston Red Sox in August) could play roles. EDGE: EVEN

    BENCH

    PHILLIES: IF Edmundo Sosa (.276/.307/.469, 11 HRs, 39 RBIs), OF Max Kepler (.216/.300/.391, 18 HRs, 52 RBIs), C Rafael Marchan, .210/.282/.305, 2 HRs, 13 RBIs), IF Otto Kemp (.234/.298/.411, 8 HRs, 28 RBIs), IF-OF Weston Wilson (.198/.282/.369, 5 HRs, 17 RBIs)

    DODGERS: C Will Smith (.296/.404/.497, 17 HRs, 61 RBIs), OF Michael Conforto (.199/.305/.333, 12 HRs, 36 RBIs), IF Hyeseong Kim (.280/.314/.385, 3 HRs, 17 RBIs, 13 SBs), C Dalton Rushing (.204/.258/.324, 4 HRs, 24 RBIs), OF Alex Call (.267/.361/.385, 5 HRs, 31 RBIs with Dodgers and Nationals)

    The Dodgers carried three catchers for the Wild Card Series when Will Smith showed he had recovered enough from his hand injury to at least pinch-hit. They didn’t use Smith against the Reds, giving him a few more days to get his hand back to full strength for this series. Look for him to get back in the starting lineup at some point early in the NLDS, particularly with an extra off day between Games 1 and 2.

    The Phillies, meanwhile, will platoon some with their outfield, using the left-handed Max Kepler instead of the right-handed Nick Castellanos. Both are power threats (though Castellanos had a down year). EDGE: DODGERS

    MANAGERS

    PHILLIES: Rob Thomson, fourth season, 346-251, .580, fourth postseason 20-14, .588 (1 NL pennant)

    DODGERS: Dave Roberts, 10th season, 944-576, .621, 10th postseason 58-44, .569 (4 pennants, 2 World Series titles)

    Relievers have been dropping from Dave Roberts’ “trust tree” like fall leaves. He showed you what he thinks of that group when he pulled Alex Vesia and Edgardo Henriquez each after the minimum three batters in the eighth inning of Game 1 against the Reds then yanked a shaky Emmet Sheehan in the middle of an at-bat in Game 2. October is no time to be patient and Roberts will have to continue that aggressive managing to avoid his bullpen sabotaging the Dodgers’ postseason.

    Thomson made his mark in 2022 when he took over a 22-29 team from fired manager Joe Girardi and led them to a 65-46 record as interim manager. That Phillies team got to the World Series (and lost to the Houston Astros), securing the full-time job for Thomson, who has led them to four consecutive playoff spots and back-to-back NL East titles. EDGE: DODGERS

    SERIES PREDICTION

    A year ago, the Dodgers faced the Padres in the NLDS and Roberts later said “that was the World Series” for the Dodgers. The Padres were the best team the Dodgers faced during their run to a World Series championship. The same thing might be true of this Phillies team if the Dodgers can get past them. The two teams are very similar offensively, have strong starting pitching and bullpens that are their weakest groups. The Dodgers haven’t played particularly well at Citizens Bank Park recently – they have lost seven of their nine games there over the past three seasons. Underperforming for two months in midseason – they were 22-32 from July 4 into early September – cost them a shot at one of the top two seeds in the NL and home-field advantage. The Phillies had the best home record in baseball this season (55-26). That could be the decisive factor in this close-call matchup. PHILLIES IN FIVE

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    Bill Plunkett

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  • Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani to make postseason pitching debut in NLDS opener

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    LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani will make his postseason pitching debut when he starts for the Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

    The Dodgers open the best-of-five series on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. PT in Philadelphia.

    “Very talented ballclub. It’s going to be a fun environment,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think we match up really well with those guys. They’re going to run a bunch of left-handers at us. Talented, all throughout the lineup.”

    Roberts confirmed Ohtani as the starter after the Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds, 8-4, to complete a sweep in the best-of-three NL Wild Card Series on Wednesday night. The Dodgers had planned to start Ohtani if that series had gone to a deciding third game.

    Ohtani (1-1, 2.87 ERA) didn’t pitch for the Dodgers last season while recovering from a second elbow surgery that he had in December 2023. He became the first player in major league history with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases as the Dodgers won the World Series over the New York Yankees.

    The two-way superstar never made the playoffs during six seasons with the Angels.

    At the plate, Ohtani revived himself in September, hitting .312 with 10 home runs and a 1.165 OPS. He finished the regular season with a career-high 55 homers, one more than last season.

    Against the Reds in Game 1, he hit two homers. He was 1 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI in the closeout win Wednesday.

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    Staff and news service reports

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  • Phillies will face Dodgers in the NLDS

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    It will be Phillies-Dodgers in the NLDS.

    Los Angeles put away the Cincinnati Reds, 8-4, on Wednesday night to take their NL Wild Card Series in a 2-0 sweep. They’ll be on their way to Philadelphia. 

    Game 1 is Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park, with either a 6:08 p.m. ET or 6:38 p.m. ET first pitch, pending the outcome of the Yankees-Red Sox Wild Card series over in the AL. 

    Star left-hander Cristopher Sánchez is set to take the mound for the Phillies. Two-way megastar Shohei Ohtani, since he didn’t pitch in the Wild Card round, is likely to get his turn for the Dodgers in Game 1 now instead. 

    The Phillies won the regular season series over the Dodgers, 4-2, which earned them the postseason tiebreaker for the No. 2 seed and the right to a bye into the NLDS had their 96-66 record not proved enough. 

    The latter part of that series also included the Phillies clinching their NL East title and taking two of three games over in LA the last time the two clubs met midway through September. 

    None of that is to say that the Phillies have an outright advantage, though. 

    The Dodgers are coming in with a ton of star power between Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the two-way, game-breaking force that is Ohtani, and all as the defending World Series champions.

    That said, the Phillies are bringing their heavy hitters, too.

    Phillies-Bryce-Harper-Game-162-Twins-MLB-2025.jpgEric Hartline/Imagn Images

    Bryce Harper and the Phillies’ journey to a World Series will have to go through the defending champion Dodgers.

    Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, and Jesús Luzardo make up a lefty-heavy, though just as dominant starting rotation in the face of the club having lost longtime ace Zack Wheeler for the year due to a blood clot. 

    At the plate, Trea Turner leads off as the NL batting champion, Kyle Schwarber waits in the wings as the MVP-caliber power hitter who is always ready to launch a ball into the seats, and then, as always, there’s Bryce Harper, who lives to make the moment in October. 

    A big-time best-of-five series is on deck, and for Philly fans, hopefully it’s another Phils-Dodgers playoff matchup that will be looked back on fondly – up there with Matt Stairs ripping one into the night or Jimmy Rollins walking them off in the ninth.

    SIGN UP HERE to receive the PhillyVoice Sports newsletter

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    Nick Tricome

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  • Turner wins NL batting title, Schwarber leads league in HRs, RBIs as Phillies beat Twins in finale

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    Trea Turner won his second career NL batting title, Kyle Schwarber led the league with 56 homes and 132 RBIs and Nick Castellanos capped Philadelphia’s 96-win season with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning as the Phillies beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Sunday.

    Turner and Schwarber have a few days to enjoy the spoils of their outstanding individual seasons before the NL East champion Phillies play again. The Phillies are set to host Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Saturday.

    The Phillies will try to stay sharp during the layoff with an intrasquad scrimmage on Wednesday night.

    The Phillies finished at 96-66 and are looking to win their first World Series title since 2008. Loaded with All-Stars and an opening day payroll that reached almost $284 million, the Phillies have struggled in the postseason the last three seasons, losing in the 2022 World Series, the 2023 NLCS and last year to the New York Mets in the division series.

    Turner returned from a three-week layoff due to a hamstring injury and went 0 for 2, yet still finished a league-best .304 this season. Turner also won a batting title in 2021, when he led the major leagues at .328 for Washington and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s the first Phillies’ first batting champion since Richie Ashburn in 1958.

    Schwarber, eligible for free agency in the offseason, finished one homer ahead of Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani to lead the National League and four behind major league leader Cal Raleigh of Seattle, who hit 60.

    Schwarber fell two homers shy of matching Ryan Howard for the franchise record of 58 set in 2006. He closed out the regular season No. 3 in walks at 107.

    Cristopher Sánchez struck out eight and tossed two-hit ball over 5 1/3 innings — and tipped his cap to a roaring, appreciative crowd — in his final start before he takes the mound in Game 1 of the NLDS.

    Key moment

    Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers hit an RBI double off reliever Lou Trivino in the sixth, and Max Kepler tied the game 1-1 with a solo homer in the eighth. Castellanos drove in the automatic runner off Cody Laweryson.

    Key stat

    The Twins finished 70-92 and must decide if Rocco Baldelli will return as manager when they open the 2026 season March 26 in Baltimore.

    Up next

    The Phillies await their postseason opponent and the winner of the Dodgers-Reds first-round series.

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    CBS Minnesota

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  • Dodgers’ bullpen squanders Shohei Ohtani’s dominant outing

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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Tim Tawa, right, celebrates after scoring the game-winning run in their 5-4 walk-off victory over the Dodgers on Tuesday night, Sept. 23, 2025, in Phoenix. Dodgers relief pitcher Tanner Scott is at left. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

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PHOENIX — The Dodgers’ only hope to solve their potentially fatal bullpen issues might be to clone Shohei Ohtani so he can pitch out of their bullpen as well as start games in the postseason.

Looking every bit like a Game 1 starter, Ohtani dominated the Arizona Diamondbacks for six scoreless innings, allowing just five hits while striking out eight on Tuesday night.

Pushing Ohtani through six innings for the first time since his second Tommy John surgery still left three innings for the Dodgers’ bullpen to foul things up. And they did, surrendering a four-run lead and losing, 5-4, on Geraldo Perdomo’s walk-off single in the ninth inning.

The Dodgers’ 11th walk-off loss of the season was set up by rookies Jack Dreyer and Edgardo Henriquez surrendering three runs in the seventh inning but ended – as it seemingly always does – with Tanner Scott serving up the decisive hit. Perdomo’s was the fourth walk-off hit Scott has allowed in his past five appearances on the road.

“For this to happen, it sucks,” Scott said after his 10th blown save of the season. “It’s gotta end with tonight.”

If the Dodgers’ bullpen had just been neutral over the past month, the division race would have ended a week (or more) ago. Now, their lead over the second-place San Diego Padres has shrunk to 1½ games with five games left in the regular season. The Dodgers’ magic number to clinch the National League West title is still three.

“We’re going to have to find a way,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, surveying the wreckage after the 15th of the Dodgers’ past 22 losses was charged to a reliever. “I just see just careful. Getting behind, walking guys, hit batsmen – that’s just a sign of, you’re either scared or you’re pitching too careful. That’s just the facts. You’re not having the conviction in executing pitches for fear of failure or getting hit.

“At this time of season you’ve got to put everything out there and trust that it’s going to be good. Because when you pitch behind and are afraid to make a mistake, hang a breaking ball, that’s when bad things happen. Not each individual guy but I think as a whole, that’s what I’m seeing. Hitters can smell that.”

Desperate times will tempt them to desperate measures.

Roki Sasaki, whose entire bullpen experience is two innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City last week, will come off the injured list on Wednesday and audition for a potential postseason role in the bullpen.

Clayton Kershaw was in the visitor’s bullpen for the late innings Tuesday and will be available to pitch in relief Wednesday. Kershaw is scheduled to make his final regular-season start on Sunday in Seattle. Wednesday would be his “throw day” – the day between starts when a pitcher throws a bullpen session. He will do it in the game against the Diamondbacks instead.

“He’s definitely a realistic option,” Roberts said of Kershaw, who does not figure to start a game during the best-of-three Wild Card Series next week.

“I think he’s earned the right. He’s open to it. And just kind of where we’re at, we’ve got to get the best guys to get outs. So if Clayton is viable – and he’s viable – then we’re gonna use him. That’s just kind of where we’re at. We’ve had almost six months to make decisions and see where things go. … Guys have got to do their job. You have to do your job. I can’t put it any more nice.”

Roberts said Kershaw came to him with the idea of pitching out of the bullpen.

“I think that anything should be on the table with covering innings down there,” Roberts said.

Ohtani won’t be an option to pitch out of the bullpen – at least not this week.

He finished his return to the mound this season by pitching 14⅔ scoreless innings over his last three starts with hitters going 8 for 51 (.157) with 18 strikeouts in those games – including his five no-hit innings against the Philadelphia Phillies last week. He got 16 swings-and-misses on Tuesday, including nine on a four-seam fastball that topped out at 101.2 mph.

Ohtani retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced, six on strikeouts. The only hit was a 105.8 mph liner back at Ohtani by Alek Thomas. Ohtani got his glove down in time to take most of the drive near his hip off the heel of his glove. It deflected away for a hit, but Ohtani struck out the side after that.

Ketel Marte led off the fourth inning with the second hit off Ohtani who then struck out the next two batters and got an inning-ending forceout. Those were Ohtani’s last strikeouts of the night and the Diamondbacks got to him for another single in the fifth and two in the sixth.

He got Gabriel Moreno to fly out to center field to end the sixth inning on his 91st pitch of the night. It was the most he had thrown – and the first time he had pitched into a sixth inning – since he threw 97 pitches in six innings against the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 9, 2023.

“I thought he was taxed,” Roberts said. “I think the running of the bases (in the top of the sixth), that sixth up, you could see him trying to manage his breathing. But he was tactical. It was good. I thought he left it all out there tonight, which we certainly needed. I feel good about him getting through the sixth inning. That’s something for us to build on. And Shohei was fantastic. He was fantastic tonight.”

He left the mound with a 3-0 lead thanks to Teoscar Hernandez. Hernandez led off the second inning with a home run. In the sixth, Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt walked Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman then gave up a two-out, two-run triple to Hernandez.

Ben Rortvedt added a solo home run in the seventh inning. It wasn’t enough.

Dreyer and Henriquez (who gave up a two-run home run to pinch-hitter Adrian del Castillo) made it a one-run game in the seventh inning. Alex Vesia waked two in the eight but stranded the tying run at third.

Scott had made four scoreless appearances since giving up a walk-off grand slam to Patrick Bailey in San Francisco. But he hit Vargas in the foot with a 2-and-2 pitch then walked Tim Tawa. After a sacrifice bunt, Jorge Barrosa tied the score with a sacrifice fly, bringing up Perdomo with two outs.

Trying to diagnosis Scott’s poor season, the Dodgers have said Scott has become too predictable, both in location and pitch selection. He threw 18 sliders and only three fastballs in the ninth inning Tuesday.

“He has a good fastball. I don’t know why he doesn’t use it more,” Perdomo said after lashing a slider into left field to win the game. “I saw the at-bat against Vargas, he threw six of seven sliders. I said he’s going to throw the same thing to me. He threw a ton of sliders, I don’t know why. I was ready for that slider.”

Roberts said recently that he is seeing “a crisis of confidence” among his relievers. Tuesday night certainly won’t help.

“We’ve talked about it,” Roberts said. “When you’re out on the mound, you’re the guy on the mound with the ball. You’ve got to find a way to have that conviction within yourself each time. I can continue to support them but I’ve got to find some guys that are going to pitch with conviction and go out there and compete and bet on those guys.

“Our starters can’t go nine every night. We’re looking for some guys to step up. We need it. We need these guys.”

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Bill Plunkett

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  • Dodgers’ Ohtani roughed up by Rockies, leaves game after getting hit on right thigh by line drive

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    DENVER (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani had a forgettable outing in his first career pitching start against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

    Ohtani left Wednesday’s game after giving up five earned runs and nine hits in four innings and getting hit in the leg by a comeback line drive.

    With runners at second and third and one out in the fourth inning, Ohtani got hit by a 93-mph line drive off the bat of Colorado’s Orlando Arcia on his right leg that caused him to limp and grimace in pain. The liner struck the reigning National League MVP and ricocheted toward the first base line. Ohtani gave chase and grabbed the ball on the line, spun to make a throw, but had no play as a runner scored.

    After a mound visit from manager Dave Roberts and team medical personnel, Ohtani stayed in the game and got the last two outs of the inning, with the Dodgers trailing 5-0 at the time. The Dodgers lost to Colorado 8-3.

    Roberts said after the game that the line drive hit Ohtani on the thigh and managed to avoid his knee and any on-bone contact.

    “I was just really relieved that it was the thigh, because it hit him flush,” Roberts said. “If you’re talking about the kneecap, that’s a different conversation. When I saw the ball mark on his thigh, I was very relieved, relative to the situation.”

    Through a translator, Ohtani said he had recently been hit in the same spot on his leg by a pitch.

    “I’m glad it didn’t hit the knee,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I think we avoided the worst-case scenario. So, I’m going to focus on the treatment.”

    Ohtani was making his 10th start of the season after not pitching in the 2024 season while recovering from elbow surgery. The earned runs that he allowed matched the most he had permitted since July 2022, and the nine hits allowed matched a career high.

    “I put the team in a bad spot,” Ohtani said. “It was just a very regrettable outing. I wish I could have done better.”

    Even after getting hit by the line drive, Ohtani stayed in the game and drew a walk in his at-bat in the fifth inning. But, he did not bat in the eighth and was replaced by Alex Call, who struck out. Ohtani finished with a double and a walk and extended his on-base streak to 18 games.

    Roberts said he’s “confident” Ohtani will play Friday against the San Diego Padres. Even before the injury, Ohtani was scheduled to sit out Thursday’s series finale against the Rockies.

    He entered Wednesday without a decision and a 3.47 ERA. This season, he hasn’t thrown more than 4 ⅓ innings or 80 pitches. Against the MLB-worst Rockies, he threw 66 pitches, 49 for strikes.

    Ohtani is batting .284 with 44 homers, one behind NL-leading Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, with 83 RBIs.

    ___

    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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  • Dodgers Win! Here’s Where to Find the Team’s Official World Series Championship Merch Online

    Dodgers Win! Here’s Where to Find the Team’s Official World Series Championship Merch Online

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    If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

    The Los Angeles Dodgers managed to close out Game 5 in a very dramatic come-from-behind win against the New York Yankees at Yankees Stadium in The Bronx, New York to win the 2024 World Series, in front of a star-studded crowd that included Rob Lowe, John Travolta, Tim McGraw and Alec Baldwin. The Dodgers won in a “gentleman’s sweep” going 4-1 in the series. And now, fans can celebrate and show off their love and pride for LA with the release of official Dodgers World Series merch.

    Want to buy LA Dodgers World Series goods online? We rounded up the best World Series Championship merch and apparel from across the web, including from Nike, HOMAGE, Fanatics, FOCO, Amazon and Funko.

    From tees to hats, we gathered together top apparel picks, including the LA Dodgers’ locker room T-shirt and ball cap. These were the same tees and hats worn during the team’s champaign celebration after closing out the World Series.

    Additionally, we found fun collectibles for Dodger fans, such as a Topps Now baseball card of Freddie Freeman, who was named Willie Mays World Series MVP thanks to his walkoff grand slam home run during Game 1, and a Shohei Ohtani World Series bobblehead.

    Scroll down and shop our picks for the best LA Dodgers 2024 World Series Championship merch, below:

    Nike

    Nike Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 World Series Champions

    LA Dodgers World Series Winners Merch, Apparel 2024: How to Buy Online

    Nike

    Nike Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 World Series Champions Roster

    LA Dodgers World Series Winners Merch, Apparel 2024: How to Buy Online

    Topps

    Topps Now Freddie Freeman Walk Off Grand Slam in World Series Baseball Card

    #866

    LA Dodgers World Series Winners Merch, Apparel 2024: How to Buy Online

    Fanatics

    Los Angeles Dodgers Fanatics 2024 World Series Champions Locker Room Tee

    LA Dodgers World Series Winners Merch, Apparel 2024: How to Buy Online

    New Era

    Los Angeles Dodgers New Era 2024 World Series Champions Locker Room Hat

    LA Dodgers World Series Winners Merch, Apparel 2024: How to Buy Online

    FOCO

    Pre-Order

    Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 World Series Champions Bobblehead

    Release date: Mar. 24, 2025

    LA Dodgers World Series Winners Merch, Apparel 2024: How to Buy Online

    MLB Jam Dodgers Betts and Ohtani Tee

    LA Dodgers World Series Winners Merch, Apparel 2024: How to Buy Online

    Pre-Order

    Pop! Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 MLB World Series Champions 5-Pack

    Release date: June 15, 2025

    Meanwhile, you can keep the party and the celebration going with the LA Dodgers championship parade throughout downtown Los Angeles on Friday, Nov. 1. If you’re in the LA metro area, you can watch the parade live on KTLA 5 online without cable via DirecTV Stream, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV.

    Want more? Shop more LA Dodgers World Series Championship merch, apparel and collectibles on fanatics.com.

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    Rudie Obias

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  • Freddie Freeman’s record-tying home run propels Dodgers to commanding 3-0 World Series lead

    Freddie Freeman’s record-tying home run propels Dodgers to commanding 3-0 World Series lead

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    (CNN) — Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman tied a World Series record after homering in his fifth consecutive Fall Classic game Monday night as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4-2 in Game 3.

    The Dodgers are now just one win away from the franchise’s eighth World Series championship.

    Freeman connected on a two-run homer off Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt in the first inning at Yankee Stadium to give the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. The 35-year-old joins Houston Astros outfielder George Springer as the only players to accomplish the feat.

    Freeman hit a home run in Games 5 and 6 as a member of the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves against the Astros.

    After the game, Freeman downplayed the accomplishment.

    “When it’s all said and done, I can look at that. But the most important thing is one more win. That’s all I care about right now,” he said. “I don’t care how it happens. I just want to get one more win.”

    Freeman is one of three players to homer in the first three games of the World Series following Barry Bonds for the San Francisco Giants in 2002 and Hank Bauer for the Yankees in 1958.

    Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler baffled the Yankees’ hitters. Buehler struck out five across five scoreless innings while giving up two hits to pick up the victory.

    “I think the playoffs or big games has always been the only thing I really cared about,” said Buehler, who returned midseason after missing almost two full years following elbow surgery.

    ”I was kind of awful all year, and I think that once you get to the playoffs – the adrenaline, the momentum – I think whatever fear I had about my elbow or trying to throw a certain pitch or whatever goes away because it’s all now. It’s all go.”

    Schmidt gave up three runs on two hits while walking four in 2.2 innings and took the loss.

    Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani started following a shoulder injury scare in Game 2. During players’ introductions, it appeared that the Japanese superstar was wearing a sling as he ran onto the field. He batted in his usual spot at the top of the order.

    Ohtani went hitless on the night, but reached base twice on a walk and a hit by pitch. He scored on Freeman’s home run. He appeared to wince in pain during multiple swings and held onto his jersey while on the base paths in an apparent attempt to limit how much his shoulder was moving.

    Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani wasn’t feeling his best during an in-game interview in the fourth inning, but acknowledged the slugger being in the batter’s box was a presence for the team.

    After the game, Roberts was appreciative of Ohtani’s effort.

    “I thought he did a really nice job of competing. I don’t think that it got any worse,” Roberts said. “Obviously just him in the batter’s box starting the game off, getting on base by way of walk. I just really appreciate him posting tonight.”

    There was a bit of late drama and a spark of hope for the Yankees when left fielder Alex Verdugo launched a two-run home run to bring the New Yorkers within two. But second basemen Gleyber Torres grounded out to shortstop to end the game during the next at-bat.

    Los Angeles takes a commanding three games to none lead in the best-of-seven series into Tuesday night’s Game 4 in New York.

    The Dodgers will be seeking the first World Series sweep since 2012.

    “We’re trying to get a game tomorrow,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the defeat. “That’s where our focus lies. So hopefully we can go be this amazing story and shock the world.

    “But right now it’s about trying to get a lead, trying to grab a game and force another one and then on from there. But we got to grab one first.”

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    CNN

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  • Shohei Ohtani partially dislocates left shoulder during Dodgers World Series Game 2 win

    Shohei Ohtani partially dislocates left shoulder during Dodgers World Series Game 2 win

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    Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani partially dislocated his left shoulder during the seventh inning of Saturday’s Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees when he tried to steal second base.Ohtani’s status for Monday’s Game 3 in New York is unclear. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani “had a little left shoulder subluxation” and would get image testing either Saturday night or Sunday.Video above: Dodgers-Yankees World Series previewOhtani clutched his left forearm after being tagged by shortstop Anthony Volpe for the final out in the inning on a feetfirst slide. He laid near the bag for a couple minutes before being tended to by trainers and leaving the field.“We’ll know more in the next couple of days,” Roberts said. “The strength was great. The range of motion good, so we’re encouraged. But obviously I can’t speculate because don’t get the scans yet. So once we have the scans, we’ll know more.”The Dodgers held on for a 4-2 victory and lead the Series 2-0.The Japanese superstar — and presumptive National League MVP — was 0 for 3 with a walk in the game. He is 1 for 8 in the first two games of the Fall Classic and is batting .260 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his first postseason in the majors.Most of Ohtani’s injuries since coming to the majors in 2018 have been pitching related, including major operations on his right elbow in 2018 and last year. The two-way phenomenon has not pitched this year but became the first player in major league history with at least 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season.In September 2019, he had surgery on his left kneecap due to a rare and congenital condition. The procedure was on his bipartite patella, or a two-part kneecap that didn’t fuse together at birth.Ohtani missed the 2017 World Baseball Classic after having ankle surgery because of an injury he suffered during the 2016 Japan Series. In the Dodgers’ 4-2 win, Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one hit over 6 1/3 innings, Freddie Freeman homered for the second straight night and the Los Angeles Dodgers hit three early longballs off Carlos Rodón.Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández also went deep for the Dodgers.After the Yankees closed to 4-2 on Giancarlo Stanton’s RBI single in the ninth against Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia relieved with the bases loaded and retired pinch-hitter Jose Trevino on a first-pitch flyout for the save.Yamamoto gave up Juan Soto’s third-inning homer, then retired his last 11 batters.“I was really looking forward to this game,” he said through a translator, “and I’m glad that we had a great ending.”Soto also singled off the wall in the ninth and scored on Stanton’s one-out hit off the third-base bag. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled and Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Treinen then struck out Anthony Volpe before Vesia completed a four-hitter.Game 3 is Monday night at Yankee Stadium. Forty-five of 56 teams holding 2-0 World Series leads have gone on to win the title.“No one said it’s going to be easy,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s a long series, and we need to make it a long series now. We won’t flinch.”New York slugger Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and is hitting .150 with six RBIs and 19 strikeouts in 40 postseason at-bats.Soto’s tying homer on an inside fastball was the only run Yamamoto permitted in two starts and 13 1/3 innings against the Yankees this year. The rookie right-hander left to a huge ovation and gave the very slightest tip of his cap to fans when he walked to the dugout.“I think everything was working well for me, since the beginning, the first inning,” he said. “It worked pretty good today.”Yamamoto joined the Dodgers last December for a $325 million, 12-year contract, a record for pitchers, teaming with Ohtani to create record interest in Major League Baseball back in Japan.Yamamoto was sidelined from June 15 to Sept. 10 because of a strained rotator cuff and this was his finest start since the injury.“Yamamoto, amazing job tonight and obviously we got out to the early lead and held on,” Freeman said.

    LOS ANGELES —

    Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani partially dislocated his left shoulder during the seventh inning of Saturday’s Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees when he tried to steal second base.

    Ohtani’s status for Monday’s Game 3 in New York is unclear. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani “had a little left shoulder subluxation” and would get image testing either Saturday night or Sunday.

    Video above: Dodgers-Yankees World Series preview

    Ohtani clutched his left forearm after being tagged by shortstop Anthony Volpe for the final out in the inning on a feetfirst slide. He laid near the bag for a couple minutes before being tended to by trainers and leaving the field.

    “We’ll know more in the next couple of days,” Roberts said. “The strength was great. The range of motion good, so we’re encouraged. But obviously I can’t speculate because don’t get the scans yet. So once we have the scans, we’ll know more.”

    The Dodgers held on for a 4-2 victory and lead the Series 2-0.

    The Japanese superstar — and presumptive National League MVP — was 0 for 3 with a walk in the game. He is 1 for 8 in the first two games of the Fall Classic and is batting .260 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his first postseason in the majors.

    Most of Ohtani’s injuries since coming to the majors in 2018 have been pitching related, including major operations on his right elbow in 2018 and last year. The two-way phenomenon has not pitched this year but became the first player in major league history with at least 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season.

    In September 2019, he had surgery on his left kneecap due to a rare and congenital condition. The procedure was on his bipartite patella, or a two-part kneecap that didn’t fuse together at birth.

    Ohtani missed the 2017 World Baseball Classic after having ankle surgery because of an injury he suffered during the 2016 Japan Series.

    In the Dodgers’ 4-2 win, Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one hit over 6 1/3 innings, Freddie Freeman homered for the second straight night and the Los Angeles Dodgers hit three early longballs off Carlos Rodón.

    Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández also went deep for the Dodgers.

    After the Yankees closed to 4-2 on Giancarlo Stanton’s RBI single in the ninth against Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia relieved with the bases loaded and retired pinch-hitter Jose Trevino on a first-pitch flyout for the save.

    Yamamoto gave up Juan Soto’s third-inning homer, then retired his last 11 batters.

    “I was really looking forward to this game,” he said through a translator, “and I’m glad that we had a great ending.”

    Soto also singled off the wall in the ninth and scored on Stanton’s one-out hit off the third-base bag. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled and Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Treinen then struck out Anthony Volpe before Vesia completed a four-hitter.

    Game 3 is Monday night at Yankee Stadium. Forty-five of 56 teams holding 2-0 World Series leads have gone on to win the title.

    “No one said it’s going to be easy,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s a long series, and we need to make it a long series now. We won’t flinch.”

    New York slugger Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and is hitting .150 with six RBIs and 19 strikeouts in 40 postseason at-bats.

    Soto’s tying homer on an inside fastball was the only run Yamamoto permitted in two starts and 13 1/3 innings against the Yankees this year. The rookie right-hander left to a huge ovation and gave the very slightest tip of his cap to fans when he walked to the dugout.

    “I think everything was working well for me, since the beginning, the first inning,” he said. “It worked pretty good today.”

    Yamamoto joined the Dodgers last December for a $325 million, 12-year contract, a record for pitchers, teaming with Ohtani to create record interest in Major League Baseball back in Japan.

    Yamamoto was sidelined from June 15 to Sept. 10 because of a strained rotator cuff and this was his finest start since the injury.

    “Yamamoto, amazing job tonight and obviously we got out to the early lead and held on,” Freeman said.

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  • Shohei Ohtani sets MLB record with homer, stolen base in same game in Dodgers’ 6-4 win over Rockies

    Shohei Ohtani sets MLB record with homer, stolen base in same game in Dodgers’ 6-4 win over Rockies

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    LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani set a major league record by homering and stealing a base for the 14th time in the same game and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the last-place Colorado Rockies 6-4 on Friday night.

    The win reduced the NL West-leading Dodgers’ magic number to four to clinch the division. Los Angeles is already assured of a postseason berth.

    Ohtani’s 52nd homer and 52nd stolen base allowed him to break the previous mark of 13 games set by Rickey Henderson in 1986 with the New York Yankees.

    Teoscar Hernández hit a go-ahead homer leading off the sixth inning that gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead.

    The Dodgers tacked on two runs in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Tommy Edman scored on Mookie Betts’ sacrifice fly. Ohtani reached on an infield single to first base and then stole second. He was safe at third on a throwing error by center fielder Sam Hilliard and scored on Hernandez’s infield single.

    Ohtani had a go-ahead homer with two outs in the fifth after Andy Pages led off the inning with a solo shot.

    Ohtani gave the crowd of 49,073 some thrills after the home fans had to watch long distance Thursday night when he became the first player in major league history with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season at Miami.

    The Rockies got home runs by Charlie Blackmon and Hilliard.

    Alex Vesia (4-4) got the victory with one inning of relief. Michael Kopech pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

    Colorado’s Kyle Freeland (5-8) took the loss, giving up four runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out two and walked none.

    Ryan Brasier pitched the first inning to open the bullpen game for the Dodgers.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Rockies: RHP Tyler Kinley went on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation.

    Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (toe) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session and hopes to face hitters next week. … RHP Anthony Banda (hand) will throw a bullpen this weekend.

    UP NEXT

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    Beth Harris

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  • Shohei Ohtani moves closer to 50-50 as Dodgers start fast, outlast Cubs

    Shohei Ohtani moves closer to 50-50 as Dodgers start fast, outlast Cubs

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    The Dodgers’ Tommy Edman hits a two-run home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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    LOS ANGELES — A historic 50-50 season is coming so fast now, even the home runs are leaving the field quicker than ever.

    Shohei Ohtani hit a line-drive home run to right-center field at 118 mph off the bat as the leadoff batter in the first inning.

    He added a stolen base in the third.

    And even with the Dodgers hitting four home runs in the first inning, they still had to fend off the Chicago Cubs’ late rally for a 10-8 victory.

    “There might be one guy on the planet, and he’s playing for the Yankees, that could probably do that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Aaron Judge, when talking about Ohtani’s laser home run. “It was also top spin. So for him to hit the ball 118 mph at that degree, it’s usually a double, but for Shohei it’s a home run.

    “He’s playing tremendous baseball. You can see he’s picking us up big time.”

    Tommy Edman added two home runs, to give him four home runs in a mere 24 hours, as the former St. Louis Cardinals fan favorite continued to show disdain for the hated rival of his previous club.

    The Dodgers are looking for somebody to take charge in the bottom of the order and Edman has raised his hand, hitting home runs from both sides of the plate Wednesday after hitting two from the right side Tuesday.

    “I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before in my life,” Edman said of his consecutive multi-homer games. “I feel like I’ve kind of gotten locked into a good routine in the cage, working on mechanics and having consistent movements in my swing and the results are paying off.”

    Edman said it was the first time he had home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game.

    Ohtani’s home run was his career-high 47th on the season, while the stolen base was his 48th. He now has 16 regular-season games remaining to pull off his 50-50 proposition.

    “We all definitely know what is going on,” Smith said of Ohtani’s historic run. “It’s fun to watch. It’s fun to be a part of and see every night. I think he’ll do it and we’ll enjoy it as he tries to get there. But more importantly, he’s trying to help us win ballgames.”

    The most home runs ever hit in a 40-40 season before this year were 46 by Washington’s Alfonso Soriano in 2006. Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. is the only player to ever have more than 50 stolen bases in a 40-40 season when he had 73 last season to go along with 41 homers.

    Along with Ohtani’s early blast, three first-inning home runs came in succession from Edman, Will Smith and Max Muncy (on his bobblehead night). The Cubs, who rallied for a victory with five runs in the eighth inning Tuesday, hardly were demoralized.

    The Cubs’ Cody Bellinger reminded everybody that he used to be the one launching home runs into the night at the ballpark atop the hill, rallying the Cubs with a three-run home run off of Bobby Miller in the fifth inning.

    Chicago tied it with a fourth run in the fifth inning, aided by another Dodgers error when Chris Taylor booted a potential double play grounder. One batter later, Pete Crow-Armstrong singled for a 7-7 tie.

    Miller continues to see his chances of appearing on the playoff roster slip away. The right-hander gave up six runs on five hits and four walks (three with two outs) over 4⅓ innings and has allowed 13 runs over his last two starts (9⅓ innings). Miller’s ERA ballooned to 8.17.

    “I think he’s grinding; I see it,” Roberts said of Miller. “He’s competing as much as he can. I think today it was easy to see that he didn’t have feel for the curveball. They were taking good swings at the fastball as we’ve talked about.”

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    Doug Padilla

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  • Nevada gaming regulators accuse Resorts World casino of accommodating illegal gambling

    Nevada gaming regulators accuse Resorts World casino of accommodating illegal gambling

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    RENO, Nev. (AP) — The Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a disciplinary complaint Thursday alleging that one of the largest casinos on the Las Vegas Strip welcomed illegal bookmaking, people with a history of gambling-related felony convictions and individuals linked to organized crime.

    Many of the allegations against Resorts World Las Vegas centered on Mathew Bowyer, the Southern California bookmaker who took thousands of sports bets from the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani. Bowyer pleaded guilty last week in federal court in Santa Ana, California, to running an illegal gambling business.

    The board asked the Nevada Gaming Commission, which has authority over disciplinary action, to fine the company and take what experts say would be rare action against Resorts World’s gaming license.

    “The commission has the power to decide what it wants to do with this,” said Michael Green, an associate professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who has long studied Las Vegas’ casino business. “They can decide to revoke the license. They can decide no, that’s too much, there should be fines. There are executives who might be forced out. So they have some latitude here. And they’re always hesitant to go that far, because you can’t be sure of the long-term effects.”

    The commission did not immediately respond to an after-hours message Thursday seeking comment on the timing of a decision.

    Resorts World said it is communicating with the board to resolve the issues so it can focus on its guests and nearly 5,000 employees.

    “We are committed to doing business with the utmost integrity and in compliance with applicable laws and industry guidelines,” it said in a statement.

    The 31-page complaint alleges that Resorts World allowed Bowyer to play 80 separate days over about 15 months, while repeatedly failing to verify his source of funding. Bowyer lost over $6.6 million during that time, while the casino extended gifts, discounts and flights on its private jet, according to the complaint.

    Bowyer was banned from Resorts World on Oct. 6, 2023, after a federal warrant was executed to search his home. Prosecutors said Bowyer ran an illegal gambling business for at least five years in Southern California and Las Vegas and took wagers from more than 700 bettors, including Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

    Diane Bass, Bowyer’s attorney, did not respond to a message seeking comment.

    The complaint lists 12 counts against Resorts World — six related to Bowyer — including failing to distance from suspected illegal bookmakers, failure of casino hosts to report suspected illegal bookings and hosts referring prospective customers to suspected illegal bookmakers.

    Other counts were related to hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit to others with histories of illegal gambling convictions or organized crime — one of whom was convicted of conducting an illegal gambling business and another who was convicted in a large-scale internet gambling operation.

    The complaint also alleges that Resorts World employees failed to report unusual or suspicious activity and violations of its anti-money laundering program to their superiors. Members of the program committee acknowledged during the board’s investigation that Bowyer’s source of funding did not justify his level of play, according to the complaint.

    “This culture results in the perception and/or reality that Resorts World is an avenue to launder funds derived from illegal activity and/or to further criminal activity causing damage to the reputation of the state of Nevada and Nevada’s gaming industry,” the board said in the complaint.

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    Associated Press writer Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

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  • Jarren Duran’s 2-run HR gives AL a 5-3 win over NL in All-Star Game started by rookie pitcher Skenes

    Jarren Duran’s 2-run HR gives AL a 5-3 win over NL in All-Star Game started by rookie pitcher Skenes

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    By STEPHEN HAWKINS

    ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Speedy Jarren Duran describes himself as a player who keeps his head down, works hard and never thinks of himself as being better than anybody else.

    Duran turned some heads in his first All-Star Game, hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer for the American League and being awarded the MVP trophy named after Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams.

    “That’s an honor. Who else would I want to try to follow in the footsteps of besides a guy like that, who is not just a great baseball player but a great human being,” Duran said after becoming the fifth Red Sox player selected All-Star Game MVP. “That guy was awesome, and I’m honored to be able to have his award.”

    The decisive homer came in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the AL beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.

    Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani also went deep in Texas with a three-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the third.

    Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single to tie the score in the AL third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene.

    “It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.

    Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph pitch, the fastest in the All-Star Game since tracking began in 2008. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.

    The 22-year-old Skenes, who has pitched only 11 big league games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last July, became the first rookie starter since 1995 and had the fewest games played for any player to make an All-Star team. The right-hander threw a hitless first, with a two-out walk to Soto before his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout on the next pitch.

    Skenes threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes, with seven fastballs up to 100.1 mph.

    “Frankly, I wish I’d had a few more pitches to do that today,” said Skenes, who has a good mix of pitches to go with the hard stuff. “It’s cool to bring eyes to the game.”

    Ohtani, who has gone deep 29 times in the first season of his record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pulled a 400-foot drive to right off Tanner Houck. That came after the Boston right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters he faced: No. 9 batter Jurickson Profar and leadoff hitter Ketel Marte.

    “I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put the ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season.”

    When Ohtani went against Miller in the fifth, he struck out on an 89.2 mph slider well inside and out of the strike zone. That was after twice taking strikes on fastballs of more than 100 mph.

    Ohtani’s first All-Star homer made him the first Dodgers player to go deep in the Midsummer Classic since Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza in 1996. Eleven days after his 30th birthday, Ohtani was an All-Star for the fourth time — his first with the NL.

    Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, after taking over for Soto in right field, had a two-out single in the fifth before Duran’s 413-foot homer to right-center after he had replaced Judge in center. Duran took a 95.9 mph fastball before going deep on an 86 mph splitter.

    “I knew he threw really hard so I was just praying he would throw me a first pitch fastball so I could see how hard it was. After that, I was hoping to get a pitch up,” Duran said. “He happened to leave a pitch up. I happened to put a good swing on it.”

    The last Red Sox player to be the All-Star MVP was J.D. Drew in 2008, following Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.

    Duran was voted by his peers as an All-Star after being the first AL player to go into the break with at least 100 hits, 10 triples, 10 homers and 20 stolen bases.

    The AL has a 48-44-2 record in the All-Star Game, and had won nine in a row before the National League’s 3-2 victory last year in Seattle.

    AL starter Corbin Burnes arrived in Texas the morning of the game after spending time at home with his newborn twin daughters. The Baltimore right-hander allowed a walk and then a two-out double to Bryce Harper before getting out of his inning on a comebacker by William Contreras, his catcher last season in Milwaukee.

    After his underhand toss of the ball to first base, Burnes had a big smile on his face when he kept jogging and wrapped his arm around Contreras on the baseline.

    Quick game

    Played in 2 hours, 28 minutes, it was the shortest All-Star Game since 1988, a game that the AL won 2-1 in Cincinnati that took only two minutes less.

    Won in both leagues

    Bruce Bochy of the host Rangers became the first manager to win World Series titles and All-Star Games in both leagues. Bochy is now 2-3 as an All-Star manager, leading the NL to a win in 2011. He won the World Series three times with the NL’s San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014, then led the Rangers to their first championship in his debut season with them last year.

    Up next

    The MLB regular series resumes Friday when 14 games are scheduled, with Milwaukee and Minnesota the only teams that won’t play until Saturday. Philadelphia (62-34) has the best record in the majors and Cleveland (58-37) has an AL-best .611 winning percentage, though Baltimore and the New York Yankees also have 58 wins.

    ___

    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

    Originally Published:

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    The Associated Press

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  • Stealing bases just another elite skill for Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts

    Stealing bases just another elite skill for Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts

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    SAN DIEGO — The race to 30-30 is on.

    Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts are 1-2 in stolen bases among the Dodgers. One was expected to be there. The other is surprising himself.

    With Ohtani not able to pitch this season, the expectation was that he would run the bases more aggressively since he didn’t have to save his energy for the mound. It has played out that way. He went into this weekend’s series in San Diego leading the Dodgers with nine stolen bases (tied for ninth in the National League).

    “It’s been exactly what I’ve expected,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He said his body felt good (coming into the season). So for me, I felt confident saying he’s gonna be more aggressive on the base paths and it’s kind of played out that way.”

    Ohtani stole 20 bases last season and a career-high 26 in 2021.

    Betts, meanwhile, has already had a 30-30 season. During his American League MVP season in 2018, he stole 30 bases and hit 32 home runs.

    But base stealing has become much less a part of his game in the years since. He hasn’t stolen more than last year’s total of 14 bases in his years with the Dodgers. He already has eight steals this year.

    “I don’t know. I really don’t know,” Betts said when asked why he has been more aggressive this year. “I mean, I’m just trying to be the best Mookie I can be. I got hurt in ’21 with my hip or whatever. Since then, I just shut it down. I have no specific reason why other than just trying to stay healthy. That wasn’t being the best Mookie I can be.

    “Maybe it’s just wanting to win – not that I didn’t want to win before. I’ve always wanted to win. I’m not really sure. But you only play for so long. I think I have eight years left. I just want to make them the best I can and make sure I can look in the mirror at night and know I did everything I could to win today. Whether we win or lose, to be able to go to sleep at night. Sometimes, I couldn’t because I was thinking, ‘Man, I should have tried to take that base. Maybe I should have did this or maybe I should have did that.’ I’m just trying to eliminate those things.”

    Roberts said Betts has “always been one of the better baserunners that I’ve ever been around, smart baserunners.” That he is putting that skill to more aggressive use this year is just part of the “MVP-caliber baseball” he’s playing, Roberts said.

    “The reason you’re a superstar player, you’re always trying to get better,” Roberts said. “I think with Mookie, that’s a part of his game, the stolen base, that used to be a part of his game but wasn’t in recent years.

    “To be honest, I think playing in the outfield, the toll it takes on him as far as the mileage, the ground that he covers. He started slugging more the last couple years. That didn’t lend itself to running and more workload to his body, let’s say. But I think right now, being on the dirt, he’s more of a dynamic player as far as on the bases. I think that’s what it is.”

    HEYWARD PROGRESS

    Outfielder Jason Heyward took live batting practice on the field at Petco Park on Friday afternoon and is scheduled to repeat that on Saturday while also simulating some defense. Roberts said Heyward will likely go on a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment at some point next week and be back with the Dodgers in one to two weeks.

    Heyward has been out since March 30 with a lower back strain. He said he didn’t get relief and start progressing toward a return until after getting some injections for the injury.

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    Bill Plunkett

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