"The Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 5-2 on Thursday night, reclaiming first in the National League West after San Diego lost to Milwaukee. The Dodgers also escaped a third straight series loss at home ahead of their weekend road series against the Angels. Designated hitter Will Smith, whom Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described earlier in the day as "unflappable," hit from the leadoff spot and homered to right-center field in the first inning to set the tone for the series-splitting win."
"The decision to put Smith in the leadoff spot allowed Roberts to maximize the 31-year-old's plate appearances without moving other players after Shohei Ohtani was held out of the lineup. The Dodgers (26-18) are trying to slightly decrease Ohtani's workload after his recent struggles at the plate. It's the first time a healthy Ohtani has been out of back-to-back starting lineups, except for the paternity list, since the universal designated hitter rule was implemented in 2022."
"Though the Dodgers outlasted the Giants (18-26) without Ohtani's help, the team's compounded mistakes almost cost it a win. In the second inning, the bottom of the lineup strung together at-bats to score Max Muncy, who reached base on a walk. However, after Miguel Rojas softly hit a ground ball to Giants starter Landen Roupp, Teoscar Hernández found himself stranded in no-man's land after running toward home from third - there was no force play at the plate."
"Rojas, who stood on the basepath, slammed his helmet down in frustration after Smith struck out to end the inning. Rojas wasn't the only one upset. Dalton Rushing was sho"
Will Smith hit a home run from the leadoff spot in the first inning to set the tone for a 5-2 Dodgers win over the San Francisco Giants. Alex Call added a pinch-hit two-run single that drove in the go-ahead runs as the teams split their four-game series. The Dodgers returned to first place in the National League West after San Diego lost to Milwaukee. Shohei Ohtani was held out of the lineup, and the Dodgers used the leadoff spot for Smith to maximize his plate appearances while managing Ohtani’s workload. The Dodgers overcame compounded mistakes, including a baserunning miscue in the second inning, to secure the victory.
Read at Los Angeles Times
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]