"When he was finished rounding the bases at Petco Park on Sunday, Shohei Ohtani made a detour on his return to the Dodgers' bench. Seated by the visiting dugout was a fan in a San Diego Padres cap and brown Fernando Tatis Jr. jersey. The spectator had spent most of the afternoon reminding Ohtani of how much he'd stunk in the three-game series. Ohtani initiated a high-five with his tormentor, who playfully bowed in deference."
"Even after avoiding a sweep by the Padres with an 8-2 victory, even after moving back into a tie with them for the lead in the National League West, the Dodgers continued to be an enigma. Who were they? The team that trampled the Padres in the series finale? Or the team that rolled over in the two previous games of the series?"
"One of baseball's worst offensive teams over the last two months, the Dodgers blasted four home runs, including two by Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers claimed the lead on a three-run blast in the seventh inning by Dalton Rushing. Yoshinobu Yamamoto did his part on the mound, picking up his 11th win by limiting the Padres to two runs over six innings."
The Dodgers avoided a sweep with an 8-2 win, moving into a tie for the National League West lead. The team showed stark inconsistency, producing a dominant finale while enduring one of baseball's worst offenses over the past two months. Key offensive contributions included four home runs and a three-run blast by Dalton Rushing. Yoshinobu Yamamoto earned his 11th victory with six effective innings. On-field moments featured Shohei Ohtani engaging with fans and visible clubhouse levity. Thirty-one regular-season games remain, and the returns and forms of injured players will heavily influence the Dodgers' playoff positioning and potential top-two seed.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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