Los Angeles Dodgers design hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts on Friday after a single during the tenth inning of a game against the Atlanta Braves in Los Angeles.
15:28 JST, May 4, 2024
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andy Pages hit a walkoff single in the 11th inning for his fourth hit of the game and the Los Angeles Dodgers outlasted the Atlanta Braves 4-3 on Friday night.
Gavin Stone pitched well and Teoscar Hernandez homered in a matchup between two of baseball’s best teams. Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. homered for the Braves.
With Will Smith on second base in the 11th, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker intentionally walked Max Muncy. Teoscar Hernandez hit a fielder’s choice and Pages, who battled Jesse Chavez (1-1), to a full swing in an at-bat that lasted eight pitches.
Michael Grove (1-1) got the win, retiring the side in the 11th.
Orlando Arcia hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning for Atlanta, scoring Luke Williams from second. The Dodgers answered in the bottom of the 10th. Shohei Ohtani singled to center field to score Chris Taylor from second. Ohtani went 1 for 2 with two walks and a stolen base, his seventh of the season.
Stone pitched six strong innings and allowed only one run. He struck out five and allowed five hits. The 25-year-old Stone, who played just eight games in his first year in the Majors last season, is making strides in the Dodgers’ rotation, especially with Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Dustin May and Bobby Miller out with injuries.
Charlie Morton allowed two earned runs in six innings, scattering five hits and striking out five. Riley homered in the first inning, a solo shot from 450 feet to left, his third of the season and first since April 7.
Two batters earlier, Acuna, who had struggled offensively this season, singled into short center field, but was later eliminated at second base. In an attempt to return to second, he stumbled and then limped back to the dugout on his right foot, but stayed in the game and homered in the eighth inning to tie the score at 2.
In the third inning, Smith hit a runscoring single to tie Ohtani. Teoscar Hernandez hit a go-ahead solo home run to right field in the fourth inning. It was Hernandez’s seventh home run of the season.
In the second inning, Jarrad Kelenic made a great throw from left field, an absolutely perfect dart to catcher Travis d’Arnaud, to eliminate a sliding Pages at home plate.
