Dodgers Recap: Freeman Delivers in Ninth to End Homestand with a Much-Needed Win

CHAVEZ RAVINE — Tyler Glasnow gave the Dodgers everything they could’ve asked for on Wednesday afternoon. Seven innings, 12 strikeouts, just one run allowed. Dominant, elite stuff. And with Shohei Ohtani tying a Dodgers record by homering in his fifth straight game—this one a towering shot in the first inning—it felt like the Dodgers were finally about to end a rough homestand on a high note.

And then the bullpens got involved. Again.

The Dodgers took a 2–1 lead in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a bases-loaded single from Tommy Edman, but they left the bases loaded—Mookie Betts popped out with a chance to break the game open. That moment loomed large just a half-inning later.

Kirby Yates entered in the eighth and promptly walked the bases loaded without recording an out. It was brutal. Alex Vesia did manage to induce a double play that tied the game, but then Miguel Rojas couldn’t quite reach a high chopper off the bat of Harrison Bader. That infield single put the Twins ahead, 3–2, and seemed to be the gut-punch that would define yet another late collapse.

It wasn’t the only missed chance of the afternoon. The Dodgers again loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth—with one out—but failed to score. Rojas popped out, ending the threat and sending more groans through the Dodger Stadium crowd.

Betts did his part in the ninth, legging out a two-out infield single, bringing Ohtani to the plate. The Twins wanted no part of him and issued an intentional walk, going full Barry Bonds mode. That brought up Esteury Ruiz, who also walked to reload the bases for Freddie Freeman.

And this time, the Dodgers came through.

Freeman lined a single to left that just skipped under the glove of Bader, scoring Betts and Ohtani and giving the Dodgers a dramatic 4–3 walk-off win. It was a much-needed spark after a disastrous week, but the victory couldn’t erase the frustration of what had come before it.

Despite Glasnow’s brilliance and the thrilling finish, the Dodgers finish the homestand with a disappointing 2–4 record and still look like a team trying to find itself. Mookie Betts’ return to the leadoff spot has yet to generate real results—he went just 1-for-5 and left four runners stranded. And the bullpen remains a major concern, with Yates’ outing the latest in a string of late-inning meltdowns since the All-Star break.

The good news? The Dodgers are still in first place. The bad news? The margin is shrinking, and with the final two months looming, this team is teetering on the edge of a serious division dogfight.

The Dodgers will travel Thursday before opening a three-game set at Fenway Park on Friday. Emmet Sheehan, Clayton Kershaw, and Dustin May are scheduled to pitch in the series, and the team desperately needs some stability—and a few quality wins—to get back on the right track.

For now, Freeman’s walk-off may have saved the day. But this team still has a lot of work to do.

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