The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks took part in a wild game on Friday night, scoring 25 runs combined. The Dodgers ultimately won 14-11, with Shohei Ohtani smacking a game-winning three-run homer.
This contest truly had it all. The defending World Series champions had the lead three times but also blew the lead twice before Ohtani put them ahead for good. In the process, they made MLB history.
Via OptaSTATS:
The Dodgers led by five runs at one point before giving up eight. But, they proceeded to score six runs in the top of the ninth, highlighted by Ohtani’s mammoth shot into the right field bleachers at Chase Field. Los Angeles banged out 15 hits and improved to 26-13 on the season.
Ohtani has been red-hot lately as well. He has gone deep five times in his last seven games and went for 3 for 6 on Friday evening. The Japanese superstar said this wild matchup had a lot of “passion” given how many lead changes there were:
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“It’s not the kind of game we play a lot,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, via MLB.com “But for us to score a lot, for them to come back, for us to come back again, it was a game with a lot of passion.”
Roki Sasaki struggled and only lasted four innings, allowing five earned runs, including a pair of homers. Anthony Banda came in but proceeded to surrender a grand slam to Lourdes Gurriel to tie the game up. Gurriel threw his hands up in the air, and Ohtani appeared to taunt the D-Backs star when he left the ballpark.
Dave Roberts wasn’t pleased with the Dodgers’ pitching, but he was happy to see their offense step up:
“I just felt that the offense did enough to win the game at that point in time, and to not pitch well, it’s frustrating,” Roberts said. “Because that just kind of puts other guys in the game, and you’re trying to win the ensuing games as well. I just feel that we’re better than we’ve pitched, and fortunately, our offense picked us up.”
