Dodgers Recap: Ohtani pitches 3 innings and blasts a homerun. Will Smith gets two knocks as the Dodgers get back into the win column

CHAVEZ RAVINE — Dodgers light up Chavez Ravine with home bonanza on a special 2024 World Series Ring giveaway night, fans packed Blue Heaven hoping to see their Dodgers return to the win column. The game started with a bang, featuring early home runs from both sides that set an electric tone for the evening.

First Inning Fireworks

The Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton wasted no time, launching a 410-foot solo shot into the left field pavilion off Shohei Ohtani to lead off the game. However, Ohtani quickly settled down, retiring the next three batters to limit the damage to just one run.

The Dodgers swiftly answered in the bottom half. After Mookie Betts walked, Shohei Ohtani stepped up and crushed a 441-foot two-run moonshot to dead center, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead and showing Buxton, he wasn’t the only one who could go deep.

Ohtani’s Mound Performance

Ohtani’s night on the mound concluded after the third inning. His final pitching line was: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, with 7 swing and misses on 46 pitches (30 strikes). While he showed some command issues, missing glove-side and giving up some hard contact, it was another positive step forward in his return to the rotation.

Smith’s Double Blast & Pages’ Power

The Dodgers continued their home run parade in the fourth inning when Will Smith led off with a 395-foot blast over the right-center field wall. This was only the Dodgers’ second hit of the night, despite the Twins having five hits with only one run to show for it.

Smith wasn’t done, hammering his second homer of the night in the sixth, a 435-foot shot to left field. Freddie Freeman followed with a double, but the inning ended with a runner thrown out at home.

The long ball continued to fill the Blue Heaven air in the seventh, with Andy Pages stroking a 412-foot solo home run to kick things off. Mookie Betts then doubled, but Ohtani struck out, stranding Betts at second to end the inning.

May Delivers Crucial Innings

Relief pitcher Dustin May followed Ohtani, providing exactly what the Dodgers needed with 4 2/3 scoreless innings. May’s impressive outing, despite giving up back-to-back two-out hits with a runner on third, helped keep the Twins at bay. His final line was: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, with 11 swing and misses on 100 pitches (63 strikes).

Looking Ahead

Tonight’s win was a much-needed spark for the team, hopefully igniting a positive win streak. It was a full team effort that should provide momentum heading into tomorrow’s game. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM PST on SportsNet LA, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking the mound looking for another strong start.

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