The Los Angeles Dodgers put an end to their longest losing streak of the season with a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday afternoon at Oracle Park, highlighted by a strong return to the mound from Shohei Ohtani and a productive day at the plate for Michael Conforto.
The Dodgers entered the contest as slight underdogs, with sportsbooks listing the Giants at -115 and the Dodgers at -105. Total runs were set at 8.5, though the game stayed well under that mark in a tightly contested pitching duel.
Ohtani, returning to the mound after undergoing elbow surgery in 2023, threw three scoreless innings in his most extended outing for Los Angeles this season. The two-way star, who signed a record-setting deal with the Dodgers before the 2024 season, had not pitched in a major league game since his operation. On Saturday, Ohtani delivered a confident performance, throwing 36 pitches, allowing just one hit, and striking out four batters. His fastball reached as high as 99.9 mph in the first inning, providing a promising sign for the Dodgers’ long-term rotation plans.
Though hitless at the plate, Ohtani served as the designated hitter and batted leadoff, finishing 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
The Dodgers’ offense was modest but timely. Conforto, facing his former team, sparked both scoring rallies. In the first inning, he reached on an infield single, moved to third on a defensive miscue, and scored on a groundout by Tommy Edman. Conforto struck again in the sixth, singling with two outs and scoring on Hyeseong Kim’s RBI single to center field.
Emmett Sheehan (1-0) took over after Ohtani and provided a strong bridge to the late innings, retiring 13 consecutive batters. Alex Vesia entered in the eighth and recorded two outs before Tanner Scott closed the door in the ninth, earning his 19th save of the season. The bullpen combined for six innings of one-run ball.
The only scoring for the Giants came via a sacrifice fly from Rafael Devers in the seventh inning, following a leadoff double by Casey Schmitt and a productive groundout. San Francisco struggled to generate further offense, managing just four hits against Dodgers pitching.
Giants starter Landen Roupp (6-6) took the loss despite an efficient outing. The right-hander struck out eight batters and gave up seven hits and two runs—only one of which was earned—over six innings of work.
Defensive lapses also hindered the Giants’ effort. In the second inning, shortstop Willy Adames made a diving stop but flipped errantly to second base, allowing Conforto to advance from first to third. That miscue eventually led to Los Angeles’s first run.
The win brings the Dodgers back to 55-41 on the season, while the Giants drop to 50-46. The two teams conclude their three-game series on Sunday. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-7, 2.77 ERA) will start for Los Angeles, while the Giants counter with veteran left-hander Robbie Ray (9-3, 2.63 ERA).
