Los Angeles Dodgers design hitter Shohei Ohtani has sunflower seeds thrown at him by Teoscar Hernandez after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Los Angeles.
13:54 JST, May 18, 2024
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run homer and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied from a 3-0 lead to beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-3 on Friday night.
Previously, the Los Angeles City Council declared May 17 as Shohei Ohtani Day in the city as long as the Japanese two-way superstar plays for the Dodgers. He signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract in December.
Ohtani bounced back after going hitless in two at-bats on his first bobblehead night Thursday. The promotion drove heavy traffic outside Dodger Stadium and created long lines of fans clamoring for one of the 40,000 souvenirs, some of which were quickly put up for sale online at exorbitant prices.
With the score tied at three, Will Smith singled for Ohtani, who grounded on a fielder’s choice to first base and was safely at second base after a throwing error by short stop Elly De La Cruz. The Dodgers made it 5-3 when Freddie Freeman scored on a wild pitch from Fernando Cruz (1-5) that sailed to the backstop.
Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer in the eighth to extend the lead to 7-3.
Michael Grove (2-2) got the win with one inning of relief.
Mookie Betts homered from the bottom of the first inning for the Dodgers, who avoided their second three-game losing streak of the season.
Ohtani went deep to left field in the third for his 13th home run of the season. Betts scored on a grounder off a fielder’s choice to the shortstop, giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
Betts’ throwing error led to Jonathan India scoring the Reds’ first run in the fourth.
They got solo shots from Stuart Fairchild in the fifth and Tyler Stephenson with two outs in the sixth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: Placed LHP Justin Wilson (left shoulder tightness) on the 15-day injured list.
Dodgers: INF Max Muncy (right oblique strain) went on the 10-day IL. He felt it during batting practice on Thursday, and an MRI on Friday showed mild tension. … RHP Connor Brogdon (right plantar fasciitis) transferred to the 60-day IL.
NEXT ONE
Reds RHP Graham Ashcraft (3-2, 4.12 ERA) starts Saturday against Dodgers RHP Walker Buehler (0-1, 7.36), who starts his third game of the season.
