Andy Pages hit a two-run homer to finish off a six-run first inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers won 7-2 against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday night in a game between division leaders from different leagues.
Mookie Betts also hit a home run for the Dodgers, who increased their lead in the NL West to five games ahead of San Diego, which lost 6-3 to San Francisco.
“When you get out and score six, that’s always going to be a good recipe to win a game,” Betts said. “It seemed like they were a pitch or two from getting out of it, but we stood firm.”
Lane Thomas hit a two-run homer for the Guardians in the second inning. The leaders of the AL Central dropped to 3-2 on their nine-game road trip and still have a 3 1/2-game lead over second-place Kansas City, which won 4-2 against Minnesota.
Tommy Edman had two hits, including a two-run double in the first inning as Los Angeles sent 10 batters to the plate.
Gavin Williams (3-8) became the first Cleveland starter who wasn’t an opener to not get out of the first inning since 2021.
Shohei Ohtani grounded out in both of his first-inning at-bats and went 0 for 4, staying at 45 home runs and 46 stolen bases.
Williams allowed five runs on two hits and three walks in two-thirds of an inning.
“He was overthrowing just a little bit and yanking the ball. Didn’t have the command with the three walks, and then they got to him,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.
Brent Honeywell (1-1), the last of seven Dodgers pitchers, got the win.
Williams walked three straight batters before Edman’s ground-rule double over the short wall in the left-field corner brought in two runs. Gavin Lux’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0, and Miguel Rojas ended Williams’ day with an RBI single down the right-field line.
