Adolis Garcia hits walk-off blast as Rangers stun Dodgers

Malaysia Sun

a day ago

(Photo credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images)
Adolis Garcia hit a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Texas Rangers to a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday afternoon in the middle game of a three-game interleague series in Arlington, Texas.
Garcia's blast over the left field wall came off the Dodgers' Kirby Yates -- who was the Rangers' closer in 2024 -- and followed a leadoff double by Josh Smith. The home run was Garcia's fourth of the season, and it made a winner out of Jacob Webb (2-0), the third pitcher for Texas.
Yates (1-1) had his first blown save of the year. Six players had one hit each for Los Angeles, which had a four-game winning streak snapped.
Texas managed just five hits but evened the series while winning for the fourth time in five games.
Shohei Ohtani missed his second straight game while on the paternity list. His wife gave birth to a daughter, it was announced Saturday.
Both starters -- Roki Sasaki for Los Angeles and Nathan Eovaldi for Texas -- pitched well enough to win, but an error by Eovaldi made the difference in handing the Dodgers the lead.
Sasaki allowed two runs on two hits over a career-high six innings while striking out four and walking three. Eovaldi gave up three runs (two earned) while scattering five hits and striking out seven without a walk.
The Rangers struck first, going up 2-0 on Kyle Higashioka's two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. The blast that also plated Dustin Harris, who had walked to start the inning, was just out of the reach of leaping Los Angeles left fielder Michael Conforto and was the first hit off Sasaki.
The Dodgers wasted little time in answering, tying the game in the fourth when Freddie Freeman ripped a two-run homer down the right-field line that also scored Mookie Betts, who had singled in front of him.
After a groundout, Conforto singled and went to second when Eovaldi's pickoff throw to first base hit him in the back and rolled away. Max Muncy followed with a double to the right-center field gap that allowed Conforto to trot home and give Los Angeles a 3-2 lead.
Neither team threatened as they got into their respective bullpens. Sasaki was followed to the mound by Jack Dreyer (one inning), Evan Phillips (two-thirds of an inning, two strikeouts and one single) and Alex Vesia (one-third of an inning) before Yates.
Robert Garcia pitched the seventh for Texas and Webb retired all six batters he faced over the final two innings.
The series between the past two World Series champions will conclude Sunday afternoon.
--Field Level Media