Shohei Ohtani wows early, but Dodgers' bullpen falters in loss to Astros
It was the bulk guy who followed him who ran into issues.
In a 6-4 loss to the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium, Shohei Ohtani showed more encouraging signs as a pitcher, throwing two scoreless innings that included a double-play in the first and a strikeout of the side in the second.
But, in a reminder of the still-tenuous pitching depth the Dodgers have relied on for much of this first half, long man Justin Wrobleski came back down to earth in a five-run, 4 ⅔-inning outing thereafter, sending the team to a defeat that clinched a series loss to the Astros.
In the big picture, this weekend has offered hope for the Dodgers' long-term pitching plans.
On Friday, manager Dave Roberts said injured $136.5 million right-hander Tyler Glasnow is on track to return from his shoulder problem during next week's road trip.
Before Saturday's game, injured $182 million left-hander Blake Snell threw his second live batting practice of the week, striking out four of the eight hitters he faced in what is expected to be his final simulated session before going on a minor-league rehab assignment. Both he and injured reliever Blake Treinen, who also threw an inning of live batting practice Saturday, are lined up to be activated from the IL 'at some point in time shortly after the All-Star break,' per Roberts.
Then there was Ohtani, who despite once again being limited to a short workload in his fourth pitching start of the season, was also once again dominant in a 31-pitch display.
After Isaac Paredes singled to lead off the game, Ohtani broke Cam Smith's bat on a 96 mph fastball for a double-play grounder to second. In the second inning, Ohtani fanned Christian Walker with a slider, then Victor Caratini and Yainer Díaz on a pair of big-breaking sweepers — all while also touching 101 mph on the radar gun.
In his six total innings this year, Ohtani has given up just one run, one walk and four hits while striking out six batters on what was his 31st birthday.
And though it remains unclear exactly when he'll be fully stretched out — or exactly how built up he will eventually get this year, coming off a second career Tommy John surgery — the Dodgers are inching steadily closer to having the rotation they envisioned this year: One with Ohtani, Snell and Glasnow joining likely All-Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a star-studded quartet the club has spent lavishly the last two offseasons to build.
'We can see a little squint of light,' Roberts said. 'It's taken a little longer than we've all expected or hoped for, as far as getting our guys together. So we haven't gotten there yet. But we're hopeful and excited.'
In the short term, however, the Astros have put a dent in the optimism the club had clung to among its stable of young pitching depth.
After Ben Casparius was knocked around in a historic blowout on Friday night, Wrobleski suffered a similar fate against Houston's surging lineup. Upon entering the game at the start of the third, he quickly blew an early 2-0 Dodgers lead, giving up a leadoff single to Cooper Hummel and back-to-back two-strike doubles to Mauricio Dubón (who fouled off fastball after fastball before whacking a full-count heater the other way) and Zack Short (who got three-straight off-speed pitches, pulling the last one down the third-base line to score two runs).
Miguel Rojas, tapped to play third base Saturday in place of the recently injured Max Muncy, made matters worse by misfiring on a tough throw to first on a soft ground ball from Smith with one out, allowing a run to score. Then Walker, an unlikely Dodgers killer over his career, lined a two-out single to right to make it a four-run inning, and a 4-2 Astros lead.
Wrobleski did eventually settle down, but not before Díaz homered at the start of the third to put the Astros up there.
That deficit proved insurmountable for the Dodgers. They made it 5-4 when Rojas homered in the fourth (he also had an RBI single in the second inning, and drew a walk in the fifth) but stranded a string of opportunities down the stretch, finishing the day one-for-five with runners in scoring position and with nine men left on base.
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Astros sweep Dodgers at Dodger Stadium for first time since 2008
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Goldschmidt turned an unassisted double play in the eighth, gloving Brett Baty's hard grounder, tagging Ronny Mauricio and stepping on first base. The Yankees, who tumbled from the AL East lead by losing 16 of 22 games, had matched their longest losing streak. They stopped the Mets' four-game winning streak. RAYS 7, TWINS 5, 10 INNINGS MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Yandy Díaz doubled in the go-ahead run in a three-run 10th inning, and Tampa Bay beat Minnesota to avoid a three-game sweep. Díaz drove in automatic runner Danny Jansen on a 2-1 pitch from Justin Topa (1-3). Díaz scored when Topa threw wild to first on a sacrifice bunt by José Caballero, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Junior Caminero. Harrison Bader, whose two-run pinch-hit homer off Mason Montgomery in the eighth tied it at 4-all, drove in automatic runner Byron Buxton with a groundout in the bottom of the 10th off Eric Orze, who finished for his third save. Pete Fairbanks (4-2) got five outs for the win. 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In his third career MLB game, Colson Montgomery had two hits and an RBI for the White Sox. With two hits and an RBI, Mike Tauchman improved his batting average to .372 over the past 11 games. Zach Agnos (1-3) got the win for the Rockies after giving up one earned run in 1 1/3 innings. Seth Halvorsen pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his eighth save. ROYALS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 0 PHOENIX (AP) — Michael Lorenzen struck out seven in seven dominant innings, Bobby Witt Jr. homered and Kansas City beat Arizona. Lorenzen (5-8) kept the Diamondbacks off-balance all afternoon with a mix of mid-90s fastballs and changeups. He struck out the side in the first inning and didn't allow a hit until Randal Grichuk's two-out double in the fifth. Lorenzen allowed two hits and walked one. Witt hit a solo homer off Anthony DeSclafani (0-1) in the fifth inning to extend his team-record road hitting streak to 26 games. Salvador Perez also hit a solo homer in the Royals' fourth win in six games. Arizona had three hits and didn't get a runner past second base to lose for the fourth time in five games. MARINERS 1, PIRATES 0 SEATTLE (AP) — Randy Arozarena homered, George Kirby tossed 6 1/3 crisp innings and Seattle shut out the punchless Pirates for the third straight game, winning as Pittsburgh wasted another strong start by All-Star Paul Skenes. Arozarena hit his 14th longball of the season and sixth in seven games when he turned on a low fastball in the sixth inning from reliever Carmen Mlodzinski (2-6). Skenes had a short but effective outing, striking out 10 and allowing five hits in five innings. He threw 52 of his 78 pitches for strikes and lowered his ERA to 1.94 but is just 4-7 this season. Pittsburgh was beaten 6-0 on Friday and 1-0 on Saturday during its scoreless weekend in Seattle. Before making the trip, the Pirates blanked St. Louis three straight times at home. The streak of playing in six straight shutouts is tied for the longest in major league history. Kirby (3-4) struck out nine, allowed four singles and walked none. CUBS 11, CARDINALS 0 CHICAGO (AP) — Matthew Boyd struck out nine in five innings hours after being named to his first All-Star team, helping Chicago rout St. Louis. Boyd (0-3) allowed only three hits and lowered his ERA to 2.52. The Cubs got on the board early, then surged ahead with a five-run third inning. Chicago scored a run in each of the first five innings to jump out to an 11-0 lead. Nico Hoerner was 3 for 4 with three runs and finished a home run shy of the cycle. Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong were each 2 for 5, with Suzuki hitting his 25th homer. Cardinals starter Erick Fedde (3-9) pitched just 1 1/3 innings before being replaced with the bases loaded. He allowed three earned runs.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Astros sweep Dodgers at Dodger Stadium for first time since 2008
Houston Astros' Zack Short hits a single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh) LOS ANGELES (AP) — Christian Walker, Yainer Diaz and Jose Altuve each homered, Ryan Gusto threw six strong innings, and the Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 on Sunday to complete their first three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium since May 9-11, 2008. The Astros scored the go-ahead run in the sixth when No. 9 batter Zack Short capped an eight-pitch at-bat by drawing a two-out bases-loaded walk off reliever Will Klein (1-1) for a 2-1 lead. Advertisement Walker and Diaz opened the eighth with homers off Dodgers closer Tanner Scott for a 4-1 lead, and Altuve added a solo shot in the ninth off Anthony Banda, as the Astros improved to a major league-best 24-8 since June 1. Gusto (6-3) wasn't dominant, allowing one run and four hits and striking out one, but he held the top four Dodgers batters — Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages — to two singles in 12 at-bats. Bennett Sousa, Bryan King and Bryan Abreu each threw scoreless innings of relief for Houston. PHILLIES 3, REDS 1 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler threw a one-hitter for his first complete game since 2021 in Philadelphia's victory over the Cincinnati. Advertisement Wheeler (9-2) — the National League's pitcher of the month in June — allowed only a leadoff homer to Austin Hays in the fifth inning. The right-hander struck out 12 and didn't walk a batter, throwing 108 pitches. Since Wheeler returned from paternity leave June 9, he has allowed only three earned runs in 40 innings. Wheeler has five career complete games, three in 2021. There have been 20 complete games in the majors this season. 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He allowed two hits in seven innings in a 2-0 win over the Twins his last time out. Miami lost for the third time in 13 games. Milwaukee went 3-3 on a six-game trip. BLUE JAYS 3, ANGELS 2 TORONTO (AP) — Bo Bichette homered and scored the deciding run to lead Toronto to its season-high eighth straight victory by beating Los Angeles. The American League East-leading Blue Jays improved to 52-38, sweeping a homestand of seven of more games for the first time since 1994 and second in franchise history. Advertisement Toronto drew even on with Bichette's leadoff homer in the fourth inning. His 12th homer came after his error in the top of the inning loaded the bases for the Angels. Davis Schneider drove in Bichette in the sixth inning with a single down the left-field line. Mike Trout homered for the Angels with two out in the first. After Bichette's homer, Toronto went ahead in the fourth on a two-out single from Joey Loperfido, who made his season debut. 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Advertisement The Guardians' double-digit streak is the 11th in team history and the first since Cleveland dropped 11 in a row in 2012. The franchise record is 12 in 1931. Cleveland's Steven Kwan had three hits, including an RBI double in the eighth. Báez singled leading off the 10th with automatic runner Parker Meadows aboard and Sweeney followed with a three-run drive down the left-field line off Cade Smith (2-3) for a 4-1 lead. Skubal — the reigning AL Cy Young winner and possible starter in next week's All-Star Game — allowed three hits in seven innings. It was his sixth double-digit strikeout game of the season and 13th of his career. Advertisement Chase Lee (4-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Cleveland's Gavin Williams allowed one hit in six innings and struck out eight. RED SOX 6, NATIONALS 4 WASHINGTON (AP) — Trevor Story homered and Boston beat Washington to complete a three-game sweep, with the Nationals firing manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo hours after the game. Mirred in their sixth consecutive losing season since winning the 2019 World Series, the Nationals are 37-53. Left-hander Garrett Crochet (9-4) allowed two runs and struck out seven in five innings. He leads the majors with 151 strikeouts. Ceddanne Rafaela ripped a ninth-inning solo homer as part of a three-hit game for the Red Sox (46-45), who have won six of eight and moved over .500 for the first time since they were 40-39 on June 22. Boston earned its first road sweep since July 2-4, 2024, at Miami. Advertisement Rookie Brady House had his first career three-hit game for the Nationals (37-53), who are a season-high 16 games under .500 after being swept for the fifth time. Washington stranded 15 men on base. Boston scored four runs in the first against left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara, who made his major league debut. YANKEES 6, METS 4 NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his 33rd home run, left fielder Cody Bellinger started a pivotal double play and the New York Yankees stopped a six-game losing streak by beating the Mets to avoid a weekend Subway Series sweep. Max Fried (11-2) improved to 9-1 in 12 starts after Yankees losses after Judge staked him to a 5-0 lead with a two-run homer in the fifth off Brandon Waddell, part of Judge's three-RBI day. Advertisement After Judge's sacrifice fly restored a two-run lead in the seventh, Juan Soto hit a sinking drive that Bellinger scooped with a shoestring catch that had 30% possibility. Bellinger made a 89.9 mph throw to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt that doubled up Francisco Lindor, who didn't slide. That was the second of three double plays in consecutive innings by a Yankees defense that has been shaky of late. Hayden Senger grounded into a double play with the bases loaded in the sixth, and Judge followed with a tumbling catch on Starling Marte's liner. Goldschmidt turned an unassisted double play in the eighth, gloving Brett Baty's hard grounder, tagging Ronny Mauricio and stepping on first base. The Yankees, who tumbled from the AL East lead by losing 16 of 22 games, had matched their longest losing streak. They stopped the Mets' four-game winning streak. RAYS 7, TWINS 5, 10 INNINGS Advertisement MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Yandy Díaz doubled in the go-ahead run in a three-run 10th inning, and Tampa Bay beat Minnesota to avoid a three-game sweep. Díaz drove in automatic runner Danny Jansen on a 2-1 pitch from Justin Topa (1-3). Díaz scored when Topa threw wild to first on a sacrifice bunt by José Caballero, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Junior Caminero. 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He struck out the side in the first inning and didn't allow a hit until Randal Grichuk's two-out double in the fifth. Lorenzen allowed two hits and walked one. Witt hit a solo homer off Anthony DeSclafani (0-1) in the fifth inning to extend his team-record road hitting streak to 26 games. Salvador Perez also hit a solo homer in the Royals' fourth win in six games. Arizona had three hits and didn't get a runner past second base to lose for the fourth time in five games. MARINERS 1, PIRATES 0 Advertisement SEATTLE (AP) — Randy Arozarena homered, George Kirby tossed 6 1/3 crisp innings and Seattle shut out the punchless Pirates for the third straight game, winning as Pittsburgh wasted another strong start by All-Star Paul Skenes. Arozarena hit his 14th longball of the season and sixth in seven games when he turned on a low fastball in the sixth inning from reliever Carmen Mlodzinski (2-6). Skenes had a short but effective outing, striking out 10 and allowing five hits in five innings. He threw 52 of his 78 pitches for strikes and lowered his ERA to 1.94 but is just 4-7 this season. Pittsburgh was beaten 6-0 on Friday and 1-0 on Saturday during its scoreless weekend in Seattle. Before making the trip, the Pirates blanked St. Louis three straight times at home. The streak of playing in six straight shutouts is tied for the longest in major league history. Advertisement Kirby (3-4) struck out nine, allowed four singles and walked none. CUBS 11, CARDINALS 0 CHICAGO (AP) — Matthew Boyd struck out nine in five innings hours after being named to his first All-Star team, helping Chicago rout St. Louis. Boyd (0-3) allowed only three hits and lowered his ERA to 2.52. The Cubs got on the board early, then surged ahead with a five-run third inning. Chicago scored a run in each of the first five innings to jump out to an 11-0 lead. Nico Hoerner was 3 for 4 with three runs and finished a home run shy of the cycle. Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong were each 2 for 5, with Suzuki hitting his 25th homer. Cardinals starter Erick Fedde (3-9) pitched just 1 1/3 innings before being replaced with the bases loaded. He allowed three earned runs.
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Cubs' Matthew Boyd strikes out 9 in 5 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals en route to 11-0 win
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