Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers, a solo shot in the seventh inning during a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night, completing a three-game sweep.
In his ninth game for the Dodgers, Ohtani connected with a 93.2 mph sinker from left-hander Taylor Rogers, sending it 430 feet into the right-center field pavilion. He expressed relief after the game, mentioning that his swing hadn’t been great lately.
The home run marked Ohtani’s 172nd in his major league career and gave the Dodgers a 5-3 lead. Limited to hitting this year following elbow surgery, Ohtani had been struggling recently, but his performance on Wednesday boosted his confidence. He also singled and scored earlier in the game.
After the game, Ohtani met the fan who caught his home run ball and exchanged it for a ball, a bat, and two hats.
Tyler Glasnow pitched well for the Dodgers, retiring 15 of his first 18 batters before faltering in the sixth inning. Miguel Rojas also contributed with a homer and two Dodgers RBIs, extending their winning streak to four games.
Despite solo home runs from Jorge Soler and Patrick Bailey, the Giants suffered their fourth consecutive loss and dropped to a 2-5 record. Kyle Harrison took the loss for the Giants after giving up four runs in five innings.
The Dodgers have started the season with a 7-2 record, scoring at least five runs in all nine games for the first time in franchise history. Manager Dave Roberts praised the team’s offensive consistency, emphasizing its importance for the morale of the team and the starting pitchers.
