Shohei Ohtani hit his 15th home run of the season Tuesday, and the Dodgers rode that one swing to a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The solo shot broke a scoreless game in the sixth inning and backed a clean night from Los Angeles pitching.
Ohtani Breaks The Deadlock
Ohtani turned on the first pitch he saw from Drew Rasmussen and drove it out for a solo homer. That was the only run of the game. He finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, but the one hit changed the outcome immediately for the Dodgers.
The blast also extended a sharp run at the plate. Ohtani has four home runs in his last six games, giving Los Angeles the kind of quick scoring that can decide a tight game before it turns into a bullpen test.
Wrobleski And Scott Finish It
Justin Wrobleski handled the bulk of the work for Los Angeles, throwing six innings and improving to 8-2. He allowed three hits, struck out five and did not issue a walk, leaving the Dodgers in position to win once Ohtani put them ahead.
Tanner Scott closed it down in the ninth and earned his ninth save of the season by retiring the side. The Dodgers needed just 1 hour, 52 minutes to get through a game decided by one pitch and one swing.
Rasmussen Stays Sharp
Rasmussen took the loss after seven innings in which he allowed one run on six hits and struck out seven. He kept the Dodgers scoreless until Ohtani’s sixth-inning homer, then watched the margin hold the rest of the way.
The timing of Ohtani’s shot carries extra weight because he is scheduled to pitch Wednesday afternoon against Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan. He will not bat Wednesday, and it will be his first pitching appearance since knee inflammation caused him to miss a game last week.
