The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their recent stretch of strong performances with a 7-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Monday night at loanDepot Park. Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman each hit home runs off Marlins starter Sandy Alcántara as Los Angeles opened a 10-game road trip with its eighth win in nine games.
According to most sportsbooks, the Dodgers entered the game as road favorites with moneyline odds near -160, while the Marlins were around +135. The projected run total was 8.5, a figure that was easily surpassed as both offenses contributed late.
Los Angeles wasted no time getting to Alcántara, who was making his second consecutive start against the Dodgers after being struck in his previous outing. In the first inning, Teoscar Hernández doubled to drive in Mookie Betts, giving the Dodgers an early lead. Hernández later exited the game in the fourth inning with tightness in his left hamstring and is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury.
Freeman extended the lead to 3-0 in the third inning with a two-run home run to center field. The blast, which traveled 402 feet, marked Freeman’s 41st career home run against the Marlins, tying him with Ryan Howard and Ryan Zimmerman for the most homers by an opposing player against the Miami franchise.
Ohtani added to the Dodgers’ lead in the fifth with a two-run home run with an exit velocity of 117.9 miles per hour. The home run tied him with Hernández for the team lead with nine this season. Ohtani’s power display in Miami continued a trend of success at loanDepot Park, where he had previously hit three home runs in a single game last September.
Hyeseong Kim, making his first Major League start, recorded two hits and drove in a run for Los Angeles. His first career hit came in the fifth inning, a single that preceded Ohtani’s home run. Kim also scored a run and helped support the Dodgers’ bullpen-heavy pitching effort.
Jack Dreyer opened the game on the mound for Los Angeles but lasted only an inning and a third. Ben Casparius entered in relief and delivered a solid performance, allowing one run over four innings to improve to 4-0 on the season.
Alcántara, the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner, struggled in his second straight start. He allowed five earned runs on six hits over five innings and dropped to 2-4 on the season. His ERA increased after another outing in which Dodgers hitters were able to make consistent hard contact.
The Marlins attempted a late comeback in the eighth inning when rookie Agustin Ramirez hit a three-run home run off Dodgers reliever Yoendrys Gómez, cutting the deficit to 7-4. However, Tanner Scott came in to stop the momentum, recording the final two outs of the eighth. Kirby Yates then pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the season.
The series continues Tuesday with right-hander Tony Gonsolin set to make his second start of the season for Los Angeles. Gonsolin, who has returned from a long injury absence, brings a 1-0 record and a 4.50 ERA into the game. The Marlins will counter with right-hander Cal Quantrill, who enters with a 2-3 record and an 8.10 ERA. The Dodgers will look to maintain their momentum while the Marlins hope to bounce back and even the series.
