On Wednesday night, Shohei Ohtani had a memorable performance, hitting his 42nd home run of the season and contributing significantly to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles. This game was also marked by Ohtani’s bobblehead night. Alongside his home run, Ohtani stole two bases and scored three runs, further cementing his status as one of the league’s most outstanding players.
Ohtani, who achieved the 40-homer, 40-steals milestone last Friday, now has 42 in both categories with a month left in the season. He is on track to become the first player in Major League Baseball history to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. Currently, he leads the National League in home runs.
The Orioles’ Ramon Urias continued his strong performance with two hits, including a two-run double. Despite his efforts, the Orioles’ starter, Corbin Burnes, struggled. Burnes allowed six runs (one earned) over five innings, hampered by three errors committed by his defense. He gave up five hits and did not walk any batters, while striking out four. Burnes, who had started the American League All-Star Game last month, has had a rough August, giving up 28 runs (21 earned) in five starts with a 7.36 ERA.
The Orioles’ loss kept them a game behind the New York Yankees in the American League East standings. The Dodgers, with the victory, maintained a three-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West.
Ohtani’s leadoff home run gave the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead, but the Orioles responded with a three-run second inning. The inning was fueled by a throwing error from Dodgers’ third baseman Max Muncy and a wild pitch that allowed Cedric Mullins to reach base. Urias’s two-run double and James McCann’s RBI single contributed to the Orioles’ lead.
The Dodgers regained control with a four-run third inning. Mookie Betts hit an RBI single, and Teoscar Hernandez hit a three-run homer, his 28th of the season, to give Los Angeles a 5-3 lead.
The teams exchanged runs in the fifth inning. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI double drove Dodgers’ starter Walker Buehler from the game. In response, an error by Orioles’ infielder Gunnar Henderson allowed Ohtani to score for the Dodgers.
Reliever Anthony Banda (2-2) secured the win for the Dodgers with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, while Michael Kopech closed the game with a perfect ninth inning for his 12th save. Buehler finished the game having allowed four runs (two earned) over 4 2/3 innings, giving up five hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.