Shohei Ohtani’s RBI double with two outs in the ninth inning helped the Los Angeles Dodgers take the lead and secure a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday, putting an end to their four-game losing streak.
The Dodgers had a tough start after being swept in Philadelphia and found themselves trailing 3-0 by the second inning.
“It was really important for us to win today,” Ohtani commented with the help of an interpreter. “I think we played really well and I’m happy it turned out positively.”
In the ninth inning, Chris Taylor singled off Jason Foley with one out, advancing to third on Austin Barnes’ pinch-hit single off Tyler Holton. Despite Gavin Lux popping out, Ohtani connected with a sinker, driving it deep into the outfield where it bounced into the shrubbery beyond the center-field fence. This brought Barnes to a stop at third base.
“I was just trying to make contact and put the ball in play,” Ohtani explained. “I was really hoping the ball would find a gap, and luckily it did.”
After Tigers manager A.J. Hinch intentionally walked Will Smith to load the bases, right fielder Wenceel Pérez made a crucial sliding catch to prevent Freddie Freeman from hitting a potential two-run single.
“I don’t usually choose to walk someone like Freddie intentionally, but that shows how effective Will Smith is against left-handed pitchers,” Hinch remarked. “If Wenceel hadn’t made that effort on the ball, we might not have had a chance in the ninth inning.”
Daniel Hudson started the ninth inning by striking out Ryan Vilade, but then walked Colt Keith and Pérez before retiring Matt Vierling and Riley Greene to secure his fourth save of the season.
The Dodgers had narrowed the Tigers’ lead to 3-2 in the eighth inning, and tying the game with two outs were singles by Smith and Freeman. Foley entered the game, and Teoscar Hernández hit a single between first and second base to bring in the tying run.
