Ohtani extends homer streak to five in Dodgers win
The Dodgers' ninth-inning rally started with two outs on an infield single from Mookie Betts against right-hander Griffin Jax (1-5). Ohtani was walked intentionally to move the tying run to second base and Esteury Ruiz walked to load the bases.
Freeman's sinking line drive to left just eluded the glove of a diving Harrison Bader.
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow had season highs with 12 strikeouts in seven innings as the Dodgers won for just the fourth time in their past 15 games.
Ohtani became the first MLB player to hit home runs in five consecutive games since New York Yankees star Aaron Judge last season. He also tied the Dodgers franchise record, done five previous times, most recently by Max Muncy in 2019.
Royce Lewis hit a home run and Chris Paddack gave up one run over six innings with eight strikeouts for the Twins, who went 2-4 on a road trip to Colorado and Los Angeles.
Ohtani gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead with a home run to left-center field in the first. It was his National League-leading 37th of the season as he broke a tie with the Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suarez. The Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh owns the major league lead with 39.
The Twins tied the game at 1-1 on Lewis' home run in the third, his fifth. Lewis, from nearby Orange County, California, had a productive homecoming with three hits Monday, three RBIs Tuesday and his third home run in four games Wednesday.
The Dodgers loaded the bases in the seventh on a single from Freeman and walks to Andy Pages and pinch hitter Miguel Rojas. Tommy Edman looped a single into right field against Louis Varland to take a 2-1 advantage.
Minnesota worked three consecutive walks against Los Angeles right-hander Kirby Yates to open the eighth. Willi Castro grounded into a double play against Alex Vesia that brought home the tying run, then Bader followed with a pinch-hit single just over the mound for a 3-2 lead.
Dodgers left-hander Anthony Banda (5-1) fanned three in a scoreless ninth inning.
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Japan Times
8 hours ago
- Japan Times
Three decades and a pile of notebooks: The beat writer who chronicled Ichiro's career
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When he was an active player, we had many off-the-record conversations off the field, but we maintained a professional distance at the ballpark. Having history with him didn't give me any advantage. In fact, I felt challenged. He was never an easy subject to deal with.' Journalist Keizo Konishi now covers players like the Padres' Yu Darvish and the Angels' Yusei Kikuchi, but for most of his career his focus has been on Ichiro. | Courtesy of Keizo Konishi Konishi and Ichiro go back a long way. A former college football player with no experience playing baseball, Konishi was assigned to the Orix BlueWave beat in 1994, when he was working for the Kyodo News wire service and Ichiro was in his third season with the Kobe-based Pacific League team. 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By chance, he was even at Heiwadai Stadium in Fukuoka on July 12, 1992, when a skinny 18-year-old wearing No. 51 recorded his first NPB hit. That was when Ichiro wore his surname across the back of his jersey. Over the years, Konishi has kept 53 notebooks filled with observations about Ichiro and has published two books about the man. He became the subject of various stories in U.S. outlets himself as well, from ESPN to The Seattle Times and others, as the reporter on the Ichiro beat. 'Covering Ichiro never got old,' said Konishi. 'He always impressed me with mind-blowing answers.' Notebooks from Konishi's decades spent reporting on Ichiro. 'Covering Ichiro never got old,' Konishi says. | Courtesy of Keizo Konishi Whenever friends and acquaintances ask him what Ichiro is like in real life or what it was like to interview him day in and day out, his answer is always the same: 'It's like exploring hidden gems.' 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Japan Today
9 hours ago
- Japan Today
Top Japanese athletes inspire diversified youth sports programs
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Japan Today
10 hours ago
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