Steve Webb
OAKLAND, CA — In a frustrating game at the Oakland Coliseum, the Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Oakland Athletics 6-5. The Dodgers’ pitching staff struggled to contain the hot A’s, surrendering three home runs that ultimately proved decisive. The team has now lost eleven out of the last thirteen games on the road.
Gavin Stone, starting for the Dodgers, had a rough outing, giving up two solo shots to Shea Langeliers and Seth Brown in the fourth inning, which allowed the A’s to tie the game at 2-2. Since July 1, Stone has looked more like the 2023 version of the pitcher. With an ERA well over 7.00 since then, Stone might be in need of a little reset, because he’s just not doing it like he was earlier in the year.The trouble for the visitors didn’t stop there, as Brent Rooker launched a two-run homer in the fifth inning off Joe Kelly, extending the A’s lead to 6-2.
While the A’s bats were booming, the Dodgers’ offense remained mostly quiet through the middle innings. Teoscar Hernández provided an early spark with a two-run homer in the first inning, but the team couldn’t build on that momentum. The A’s starting pitcher, Joey Estes, shut down the Dodgers, pitching six strong innings and allowing just two runs on two hits while striking out six.
It wasn’t until the ninth inning that the Dodgers showed signs of life. Down 6-2, Enrique Hernández and James Outman managed to get on base, setting the stage for Shohei Ohtani. With two outs, Ohtani blasted a dramatic three-run homer to right field off Tyler Ferguson, bringing the Dodgers within one run and electrifying the crowd. However, the rally fell short as Will Smith grounded out to end the game.
Despite the late heroics, the Dodgers couldn’t overcome the earlier deficit, falling to 63-47 on the season. Meanwhile, the A’s improved to 46-65, showing resilience and power that belied their last-place standing in the AL West.
The Dodgers will look to bounce back in the next game, hoping to get both their pitching and offense in sync for a stronger performance. Saturday evening’s game will feature the Dodger debut from Jack Flaherty, who will be joining Tyler Glasnow as a Souther California pitcher toeing the rubber for their childhood favorite team. Game time will be 6:07 PM PDT. So be there and let’s get back in the W column.
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