Shohei Ohtani added a new first to his already unprecedented career on Friday, but it wasn’t enough to snap what is now a seven-game Dodgers losing streak.
The Los Angeles star hit his first career splash hit at the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park, smashing a first-pitch cutter from All-Star Logan Webb 410 feet to right field with a 106-mph exit velocity. One of the kayakers in McCovey Cove leapt from his boat to secure the ball.
Advertisement
It was the 107th splash hit in Oracle Park history and the first by a Dodger since Max Muncy’s in 2021.
Those were some of the first runs in what would up being an eventful game. The Giants responded with seven straight runs, including a Dominic Smith homer and RBI triples from Jung Hoo Lee and Willy Adames, to take a commanding lead.
Then the Dodgers nearly came back.
Los Angeles cut the lead to a single run with rallies in the sixth and seventh innings, then had a runner in scoring position in the ninth. However, catcher Will Smith ground into a double play to end the game.
With the Dodgers now 56-39, an NL West lead that was nine games a week ago is down to four, with the Giants in second and the San Diego Padres a game behind them.
Advertisement
The Dodgers’ last win was on July 3 against the Chicago White Sox. Since then, they have been swept by the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers, and now have two games remaining to begin the All-Star break on some kind of positive note.
Meanwhile. Ohtani is currently pushing for his fourth career MVP award, leading the NL in homers while slowly making his return as a pitcher. He’s scheduled to make his fifth start of the season on Saturday, with his sixth career All-Star Game waiting on Tuesday.
