Dodgers Blast 5 Homers—4 in 6th Inning—in 15–2 Rout of World Series Champion Rangers

Los Angeles Dodgers' Will Smith (C) heads to first for a three-run home run as Texas Rangers starting pitcher Dane Dunning (L) and catcher Jonah Heim (R) watch along during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles on June 11, 2024. (Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo)

LOS ANGELES—Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández and Jason Heyward homered in a seven-run sixth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers 15–2 on Tuesday night, June 11.

Will Smith blasted a three-run shot in the first, giving the Dodgers a lead they never relinquished in the opener of the interleague series. Their 15 runs were a season high.

James Paxton (6–1) allowed one run and two hits in six innings. He struck out two and walked two.

Ohtani’s 16th homer of the season—tied for second in the National League—traveled 433 feet to right-center off reliever Grant Anderson, scoring Mookie Betts, who walked. Freeman followed with a shot to left-center.

Hernández went deep to left-center, scoring Smith, who singled.

Heyward’s 415-foot shot landed in the Rangers’ bullpen, scoring Andy Pages, who singled, making it 14–1.

The last time the Dodgers homered four times in an inning was on Sept. 29, 2021, against the San Diego Padres.

Anderson was battered for seven runs and six hits against no strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning.

Betts had a two-out, three-run double in the fourth and Gavin Lux added a RBI single in the fifth.

The Rangers used catcher Andrew Knizner to pitch in the seventh and eighth innings. He allowed a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Miguel Vargas that scored Ohtani, who was hit by a pitch in the seventh.

Ezequiel Duran accounted for both of the Rangers’ runs. He had a sacrifice fly in the second and homered with two outs in the seventh.

Texas starter Dane Dunning (4–5) gave up six runs on four hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (R) is congratulated by Mookie Betts after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Los Angeles on June 11, 2024. (Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo)

Training Room

Rangers: SS Corey Seager (hamstring) sat out the opening game of the series against his former team.

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (elbow) will throw a simulated game against Dodgers hitters on Thursday. ... 3B Max Muncy (oblique) is running, throwing and catching but not swinging a bat. ... RHP Bobby Miller (shoulder) will start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday. ... RHP Ryan Brasier (calf) threw a bullpen session.

By Beth Harris