Shohei Ohtani opened the game with a leadoff home run, and the Los Angeles Dodgers went on to defeat the Cleveland Guardians 7-2 on Monday night at Progressive Field. The win marked a strong response from the Dodgers, who arrived in Cleveland after losing two of three to the New York Mets over the weekend.
The Dodgers were listed as slight road favorites ahead of the matchup, with most sportsbooks setting their moneyline at approximately -125. The Guardians entered as home underdogs around +105. The projected run total for the game was 8.5, and the teams combined for nine runs to push the final tally slightly above that mark.
Ohtani wasted no time giving Los Angeles an early lead. On the first pitch of the game from Guardians starter Gavin Williams, the Dodgers’ designated hitter launched a low, inside fastball into the right-field seats. The home run was Ohtani’s 19th of the season, the most in the majors. It was his second consecutive game with a leadoff homer and his fifth of the season. Since arriving in Major League Baseball in 2018, he has hit 17 home runs to lead off a game. This is also the first time in his career that he has reached 19 home runs before the start of June.
Los Angeles extended its lead in the second inning when Will Smith added a solo home run. The Dodgers’ top five hitters in the order continued to fuel the offense, combining for seven of the team’s eight total hits.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto earned the win for the Dodgers, improving to 6-3. The right-hander from Japan allowed two runs on five hits over six innings while striking out seven. His earned run average now stands at 1.97, ranking sixth among qualified pitchers across Major League Baseball. Yamamoto navigated Cleveland’s lineup with efficiency and command, using his fastball and splitter to keep hitters off balance.
The Dodgers added two more runs in the fifth inning. Teoscar Hernández contributed an RBI single, and Max Muncy followed with a sacrifice fly to give Los Angeles a 5-2 advantage. They added two additional runs late to secure the 7-2 final margin.
For Cleveland, José Ramírez provided a bright spot offensively. The veteran third baseman extended his hitting streak to a career-best 19 games with a pair of doubles. Over the course of the streak, he is batting .387 with 12 extra-base hits and 11 RBIs. Ramírez was the only Guardians player to record multiple hits in the game, but Cleveland was otherwise limited to just six hits as a team.
Gavin Williams took the loss for the Guardians, falling to 4-3 on the season. He gave up five earned runs over five innings, including both Dodgers home runs.
The two teams will continue their three-game series Tuesday night. Right-hander Dustin May is scheduled to start for Los Angeles, bringing a 2-4 record and a 4.09 ERA into the matchup. Cleveland will counter with right-hander Tanner Bibee, who enters at 4-4 with a 3.57 ERA.
