Above: Los Angeles Dodgers dedicated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in Los Angeles, Sunday, May 5, 2024. Mookie Betts also scored.
Below: Los Angeles Dodgers dedicated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in Los Angeles, Sunday, May 5, 2024.
10:31 JST, May 6, 2024
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani went 4-for-4 with two home runs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 5-1 on Sunday afternoon to win the three-game series.
Ohtani launched a Braves hanging curveball and booted Max Fried 450 feet over the center-field fence for a two-run home run in the first inning. He added a pair of singles in the third and sixth before opening the eighth inning with a 400-foot blast off reliever AJ Minter deep into the left-center field bleachers.
“He just keeps doing things that we hadn’t seen before,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s deep. People don’t hit the ball there, whether you’re left-handed or right-handed.”
It was Ohtani’s first multihomer game with the Dodgers and the 17th of his career. His four hits were also a career highlight. With ten home runs this season, he is now tied for the lead in the Major League.
“I just feel like we’re playing really well overall,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “So that really helps me have quality at-bats. Just a good feeling overall.”
Shohei Ohtani of Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with third base coach Dino Ebel, left, after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in Los Angeles, Sunday, May 5, 2024.
Teoscar Hernandez added a two-run homer and James Paxton picked up a shutout in the seventh inning for the Dodgers. Paxton (4-0) finished with 6 2/3 innings pitched, five hits and one run allowed, two walks and three strikeouts, leaving him undefeated on the season.
Paxton retired 16 of his first 18 batters to open the game and delivered his longest start since June 30 with Boston.
“I felt great,” Paxton said. “Finally I felt some rhythm out there. I’ve been working hard between games to find out. It just feels good to make some progress.”
Marcell Ozuna homered for the Braves, who have lost five of their last six. Fried (2-1) pitched seven innings, allowing four hits and four runs, walking three and striking out seven.
The Braves have scored three points or fewer in six of their last eight games. They didn’t advance a runner past first base until Ozuna’s homer in the seventh.
“We’re in a bit of an offensive rut, that’s all,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s one of those things where we’ll be lucky if we get to experience it just once this year.”
Blake Treinen pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Dodgers in his first appearance since the 2022 postseason. Michael Grove retired the side in the ninth to complete the sweep.
