THURSDAY, AUG. 21
Game 3 of 4 at Colorado Rockies
Clayton Kershaw got his fourth straight victory as the Dodgers took the series finale 9-5 to salvage a split with the last-place Rockies. Freddie Freeman blasted a 2-run home run in the first inning, and Andy Pages added a homer in the fifth in a game that wasn’t ever in question. Both Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez had planned days off. Kershaw improved his record to 8-2 with an ERA of 3.13, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up three earned runs.
FRIDAY, AUG. 22
Game 1 of 3 at San Diego Padres
Nursing a one-game lead in the division, the Dodgers went on the road to San Diego to face the Padres. The matchup featured Dodgers’ Blake Snell against Padres’ Yu Darvish. In a low-scoring affair, the Padres prevailed behind a strong outing from Darvish, 2-1, as the teams ended the evening tied for the division lead with matching records of 73-56. Snell pitched masterfully, giving up two runs over seven innings, but Darvish was even better, allowing just one hit and one run through 6 innings. Ohtani, back in the lineup, went 0-for-3 with a walk, which was enough to keep his 19-game on-base streak alive. The Padres have picked up 7.5 games on the Dodgers since the All-Star break.
SATURDAY, AUG. 23
Game 2 of 3 at San Diego Padres
The Dodgers’ bats stayed relatively silent in Game 2 of the series, as the Padres took the victory, 5-1, and regained sole possession of first place in the division. Padres’ starter Nestor Cortes pitched a perfect game into the sixth inning before Miguel Rojas singled to right field with one out.
Ohtani was no exception, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout. The Dodgers’ sole bright spot was a pinch-hit solo home run by Alex Freeland off Padres’ reliever Jeremiah Estrada.
SUNDAY, AUG. 24
Game 3 of 3 at San Diego Padres
The Dodgers were finally able to combine solid hitting with good pitching to salvage Game 3 of the series against the Padres and avoid the sweep. Dodgers’ ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched six strong innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits while striking out six. With the win, the Dodgers pulled into a tie with the Padres for the division lead. Padres’ Ace, Nick Pivetta, pitched well but didn’t factor in the decision; he’s 13-4 for the season. The game was tied 2-2 in the sixth inning when Freddie Freeman hit his first of two home runs for the game. Ohtani added a home run in the ninth, his 45th of the season. Ohtani went 1-for-4 at the plate with a home run, a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored, while striking out twice.
MONDAY, AUG. 25
Game 1 of 3 vs. Cincinnati Reds
The Dodgers were back at home Monday to face the Reds. Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan was electric, pitching seven innings of scoreless baseball while striking out 10 batters. The 7-0 win, combined with the Padres’ loss to the Mariners, put the Dodgers back in command of the NL West. Dodgers’ outfielder Andy Pages had a big night, going 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBIs. Ohtani had a quiet night at the plate, going 0-for-3 with a walk. He is 1-for-14 over the last four games for a .071 batting average in that span.
TUESDAY, AUG. 26
Game 2 of 3 vs. Cincinnati Reds
The Dodgers maintained their one-game lead of the Padres with a 6-3 win over Cincinnati. Ohtani went 1-for-4 with an RBA and a walk.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 27
Game 3 of 3 vs. Cincinnati Reds
As The Rafu was going to press Wednesday, Ohtani was preparing to take the mound for a pitching start – on his bobblehead giveaway night – as the Dodgers looked to complete a sweep of the Reds.
Notes: Roki Sasaki is making his third rehab start this week and is expected to be back with the Dodgers in early September.
Max Muncy is on the mend and will face live pitching this week; he’s also slated to be back up in early September, as is Tommy Edman.