LOS ANGELES—Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a solo drive in the seventh inning Wednesday night, April 3, in a 5–4 win over the San Francisco Giants that completed a three-game series sweep.
Playing his ninth game for his new team, Ohtani pulled a 93.2 mph sinker on the upper, outer portion of the strike zone from left-hander Taylor Rogers into the right-center field pavilion.
The ball left Ohtani’s bat at 105.6 mph and landed 430 feet from home plate, where it was picked up by a fan.
“Honestly, very relieved that I was able to hit my first homer,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “It’s been a while, and honestly my swing hasn’t been great. So overall very relieved.”
The home run came in the 41st plate appearance of the season for the two-time American League most valuable player who left the Los Angeles Angels after last season as a free agent and agreed to a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
“I got myself into a fastball count there and then figured I’d try to do the same thing I did yesterday,” said Rogers, who got Ohtani to ground out on a nearly identical pitch in Tuesday’s game. “That was my plan. Throw it over there and see if he’ll do the same thing as yesterday.”
Ohtani’s home run, the 172nd of his major-league career, put the Dodgers ahead 5–3. The two-way star is limited to hitting this year following elbow surgery in September and entered in a 3-for-20 slide. He also singled and scored in the second inning, and he is hitting .270 with four RBIs.
Ohtani met the fan who caught his home run ball after the game. He gave the fan a ball, a bat, and two hats in exchange for the home run ball.
“Obviously, it’s a very special ball,” Ohtani said. “A lot of feelings toward it. I’m very grateful that it’s back.”
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (2–0), another big offseason acquisition by the Dodgers, retired 15 of the first 18 batters he faced before faltering in the sixth inning. He gave up three runs and four hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Joe Kelly pitched the seventh and Daniel Hudson the eighth before Dinelson Lamet finished the five-hitter by striking out two in a perfect ninth for his first professional save.
Miguel Rojas also homered and drove in two runs for the Dodgers, who won their fourth straight game and improved to 7–2.
The Dodgers have scored at least five runs in all nine games to start the season, the first time in franchise history they’ve done that.
“Even right now with some guys that are kind of scuffling and trying to find their way with their swing, we’re still putting up five runs a game,” Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said. “I think it’s big for our starting pitching and it’s big just for morale knowing that we can score early, we can score late, and we’ve seen some good arms and we’re still finding ways to put up some crooked numbers, which is huge.”
Jorge Soler and Patrick Bailey hit solo home runs for the Giants, who have lost four straight and dropped to 2–5. San Francisco has lost 14 of its past 19 games against the Dodgers.
Kyle Harrison (1–1) gave up four runs, six hits and three walks in five innings.
After Bailey’s home run tied it in the third, Will Smith hit an RBI double in the bottom half and scored on Teoscar Hernández’s single for a 3–1 Los Angeles lead.
Trainer’s Room
Giants: Left-hander Blake Snell threw 77 pitches in a simulated game. Snell, who is building his arm strength after signing with the Giants late in spring training, is scheduled to make his first start Monday against the visiting Washington Nationals.Up Next
Giants: Right-hander Jordan Hicks (1–0) will start against the San Diego Padres and right-hander Dylan Cease (0–1) in San Francisco’s home opener on Friday.Dodgers: Right-hander Bobby Miller (1–0) will start the opener of a three-game road series against the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
