Shohei Ohtani homers twice as Dodgers sweep Braves with 5-1 win

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani went 4 for 4 with two house runs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves, 5-1, on Sunday afternoon to brush the three-game sequence.

Ohtani launched a dangling curveball from Braves began Max Fried 412 ft over the middle discipline fence for a two-run homer within the first inning. He added a pair of singles within the third and the sixth earlier than main off the eighth inning with a 464-foot blast off reliever A.J. Minter deep into the left middle discipline bleachers.

“He simply retains doing issues that we simply hadn’t seen haven’t seen earlier than,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “That’s deep. Individuals don’t hit the ball on the market, whether or not you’re left-handed or right-handed.”

It was Ohtani’s first multihomer recreation with the Dodgers and the seventeenth of his profession. His 4 hits additionally tied a profession excessive. He’s now tied for the main league lead with 10 house runs this season.

“I simply really feel like we’re general taking part in very well,” Ohtani mentioned by interpreter Will Ireton. “In order that’s actually serving to me have high quality at-bats. Simply feeling good general.”

Teoscar Hernandez added a two-run homer and James Paxton took a shutout into the seventh inning for the Dodgers. Paxton (4-0) completed with 6 2/3 innings pitched, 5 hits and one run allowed, two walks and three strikeouts to stay unbeaten on the season.

Paxton retired 16 of his first 18 batters to open the sport and delivered his longest begin since June 30 with Boston.

“I felt nice,” Paxton mentioned. “I lastly felt some rhythm on the market. I’ve been working laborious between video games right here making an attempt to determine it out. Simply feels good to make some progress.”

Marcell Ozuna homered for the Braves, who’ve misplaced 5 of their final six. Fried (2-1) pitched seven innings, allowed 4 hits and 4 runs, walked three and struck out seven.

The Braves have scored three runs or much less in six of their final eight video games. They didn’t advance a runner previous first base till Ozuna’s homer within the seventh.

“We’re in a bit little bit of an offensive rut, that’s all there’s to it,” Braves supervisor Brian Snitker mentioned. “It’s a type of issues the place if we solely undergo it one time this 12 months, we’ll be fortunate.”

Blake Treinen pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Dodgers in his first look for the reason that 2022 postseason. Michael Grove retired the aspect so as within the ninth to wrap up the sweep.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: RHP Evan Phillips was positioned on the 15-day injured listing, retroactive to Saturday, with a proper hamstring pressure. Treinen was activated from the 15-day IL after lacking the beginning of the season with a bruised lung and fractured ribs.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Reynaldo Lopez (2-1, 1.50 ERA) begins the opener of a two-game sequence in opposition to Boston on Tuesday.

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (0-0, 0.00) makes his first begin since June 2022 within the opener of a three-game sequence in opposition to Miami on Monday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb