LOS ANGELES — Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins collided chest first into the blue padding of the center field wall as he made one last-ditch effort to save his team from the series-finale loss. His glove, though, came up empty.
Not even a leaping Mullins, one of baseball’s veteran home-run robbers, could stop Freddie Freeman from doing what the Dodgers first baseman does best: hitting clutch home runs.
Freeman’s two-run home run, set up by Andy Pages’ double an at-bat earlier, secured the Dodgers a 5-4 win that allowed them to maintain a season-high nine-game lead over their next-closest NL West rival, the San Diego Padres (38-35). For the Dodgers (48-27), it was their sixth sweep of the season — all while surviving a shaky start by the usually unshakable Shohei Ohtani.
If Ohtani’s left knee inflammation was bothering the four-time MVP, it didn’t seem to pose that great of a threat through the first four innings, and he pinch-hit in the sixth inning for Miguel Rojas, who had started in the designated hitter role.
Tampa Bay (41-30) eventually broke through in the fifth inning, scoring four runs on small-ball hits that found just enough grass. No particular pitch seemed particularly off for Ohtani, though the Rays connected more on his four-seam fastball that inning than the others.
A handful of unlucky plays left the Dodgers vulnerable. Take Mullins’ single to Freeman. The Rays’ center fielder had hit the ball hard enough that Freeman, more than a handful of steps away from the bag, wouldn’t be able to make the play unassisted. Ohtani tried his hardest to match Mullins’ speed but couldn’t.
After a five-hit inning, Ohtani escaped on a bunt attempt that went to Tommy Edman — playing third base in his return from the injured list — who threw to first for the third out. Ohtani’s 1.47 ERA, despite four earned runs, is currently second only to the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski among pitchers who’ve completed at least 70 innings.
Rays starter Shane McClanahan also ran into similar run trouble in the fourth inning. Alex Call drove in Mookie Betts for the first run of the game, then then stole second base during Dalton Rushing’s at-bat. Call sprinted home on an Alex Freeland single, his helmet popping off and skidding a couple of feet into the grass as he crossed home.
McClanahan left the game with bases loaded soon after Call scored. The lefty walked Tommy Edman but was pulled before seeing Pages, who ended the inning against Casey Legumina by lining out softly to short.
The Dodgers came up short in another bases-loaded opportunity the next inning, squandering a chance to take the lead. Kyle Tucker pushed one run across on an RBI walk. Yet, without any outs on the board, the next three batters — Call, Rushing and Freeland — went down in order. The Dodgers finished the game with 11 runners left on base, which nearly cost them.
Alex Vesia walked the tying run, and spent most of his ninth-inning outing with Tampa Bay’s Austin Slater on second. The Dodgers intentionally walked Yandy Díaz to face Jonathan Aranda with two outs, who earned a walk. With the bases loaded, Vesia struck out Mullins swinging to end the game.
Injury updates
Edman went 0 for 3 with a walk in his first game back.
“Just knowing Tommy can play anywhere, essentially on the field, and just having him back, we’re all excited,” Roberts said before the game.
Teoscar Hernández, who is currently out with a hamstring injury, is scheduled to take live batting practice on Thursday. A simulated game is also in the works for the 33-year-old outfielder before a rehab game early next week, Roberts said.
Will Smith is unlikely to be reinstated Friday when he is eligible to come off the injured list. The Dodgers are still trying to figure out ways to make sure he doesn’t regress once the catcher comes back from a neck injury. He did a full workout Tuesday.
“I don’t want to put a say on when he’s going to play,” Roberts said. “But each day is getting better.”