Shohei Ohtani delivered a standout performance on his bobblehead night, hitting two home runs and driving in six as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Oakland Athletics 19-2 on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. The win capped a dominant two-game rebound after the Dodgers dropped the series opener, extending their unbeaten run in series play to six.
The Dodgers entered the series finale as heavy favorites, with most oddsmakers placing them around -250 on the moneyline. The Athletics, continuing to struggle in the standings, were underdogs at approximately +210. The projected run total sat near 8.5, but the Dodgers more than doubled that figure with their highest run output against an American League opponent.
After falling 11-1 in the series’ first game, Los Angeles outscored Oakland 28-5 over the final two games. The Dodgers improved their home record to 17-4, the best in Major League Baseball. The offensive explosion began early and sustained throughout the game, with Los Angeles scoring runs in each of the first four innings.
Ohtani drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning before hitting his 14th home run of the season in the third, a deep drive to left-center as part of a seven-run inning. That frame also included a run-scoring single by Hyeseong Kim and a three-run home run by Andy Pages, his 416-foot blast giving the Dodgers a commanding 13-2 lead.
In the fourth, Ohtani struck again, launching a two-run homer to center field. The 418-foot shot tied him with Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber for the Major League home run lead at 15. It also marked Ohtani’s 20th multi-home run game and capped his six-RBI performance, which matched a career high.
Every Dodgers starter recorded at least one hit. Kim reached base five times and scored three runs, continuing to contribute offensively and defensively in his first season in Los Angeles. Max Muncy also added a two-run homer in the first inning, helping the Dodgers build an early cushion. The team scored three more runs in the eighth to complete the rout.
Justin Wrobleski earned the win, improving to 1-1, as he and the Dodgers’ bullpen held Oakland to just three hits. The Athletics managed only one hit after the second inning and were held mainly in check aside from a solo home run by Max Schuemann in the second.
In a lighthearted moment in the eighth inning, Ohtani struck out swinging on an 89-mile-per-hour fastball thrown by Athletics backup catcher Johnny Pereda, who was making his third relief appearance of the season. The ball from that strikeout was kept as a souvenir by the A’s.
Ohtani has hit nine home runs in his last 15 games and leads the majors with 48 runs scored. Los Angeles remains firmly in control of the National League West as it heads into a weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels. Dustin May is scheduled to start Friday’s opener with a 1-3 record and 4.13 ERA. Oakland will travel to San Francisco, where left-hander JP Sears is set to face the Giants with a 4-2 record and 2.80 ERA.
