With a six-game home losing streak behind them, the Los Angeles Dodgers will continue to search for solid footing when they face the visiting Minnesota Twins in the middle contest of a three-game series.
The Dodgers were swept in three-game home series against the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers since July 4 before putting together a 5-2 victory Monday over the Twins in the series opener.
The win did come at a significant price as left-handed reliever Tanner Scott departed with a forearm injury in the ninth inning. Scott, who has 19 saves, will undergo further testing Tuesday.
“We’ve lost guys, we’re trying to get guys back and to lose him for any amount of time is obviously a blow,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “You win a game and there was a lot of good things that happened but obviously it takes a little bit of the joy out of it.”
Shohei Ohtani not only gave up one run over three innings on the mound, he hit a two-run home run in the first. Los Angeles has won just three times in the past 13 games, and two of the wins came on the days Ohtani was the starting pitcher.
The home run was one of four by Los Angeles, with two from Will Smith and another from Andy Pages.
“The swing is feeling good, I need to be consistent with it, keep it in a good spot, stick to my approach and good things are happening,” said Smith, who has 14 homers.
Ohtani’s success at the plate against the Twins is nothing new. His homer was his seventh in 25 games against Minnesota after he entered batting .301 in nearly 100 at-bats.
The Dodgers will send right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-7, 2.59 ERA) to the mound Tuesday for his first outing since the All-Star break.
Yamamoto, who has never faced the Twins, was a National League All-Star but did not appear in last week’s showcase game after pitching the day before the break began.
The Twins will counter with right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson (5-4, 3.95), who is on a roll by going 3-0 with a 0.92 ERA over his last four starts. Woods Richardson also is making his first start since the All-Star break while facing the Dodgers for the first time.
After hitting a home run among his two hits Sunday at Colorado, the Twins’ Royce Lewis had three more hits Monday. Before Sunday’s game, Lewis did not have a hit in any of his previous three games and was batting just .233 with no home runs in his first 13 games since returning from the injured list July 1 because of a left hamstring strain.
With a return to his native Southern California, Lewis sensed that success might be forthcoming.
“I’ll soak it in,” Lewis said, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I think I’ll probably end up playing better too, just like enjoy it. … Obviously I want our team to win. But man, I’m going to enjoy this … because this is like a dream come true.”
Byron Buxton opened Monday’s game with a home run on Ohtani’s second pitch. The Twins didn’t score again until a Kody Clemens sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the ninth. Carlos Correa flew out to the top of the center field wall as the tying run to end the game.
–Field Level Media
