Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
The Los Angeles Dodgers finally returned to Dodger Stadium to start a six-game home stand. On a perfect Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, James Paxton rebounded from a poor start to pitch six one-run innings. The Dodgers had five home runs. The Dodgers swatted the world champion Texas Rangers 15-to-2.
On the first play of the game, Miguel Rojas made a fantastic defensive play while playing third. James Paxton used twelve pitches to hurl a perfect first inning.
Shohei Ohtani walked with an out in the first and stole second. Freddie Freeman singled, but Ohtani didn’t read the ball at all and stayed at second. Will Smith blasted a home run. Teoscar Hernandez, who was named the National League Player of the Week, grounded out.
To start the second, Gavin Lux made an outstanding defensive play at second. Paxton walked a batter and allowed a weak hit single. Texas scored on a sacrifice fly. Paxton got out of the jam without allowing more runs.
With an out in the second, Jason Heyward walked. Miguel Rojas hit into a double play.
In the third with two outs, Paxton allowed an infield single.
Ohtani walked in the third with an out but didn’t advance.
Paxton was perfect in the fourth.
Gavin Lux had a weird infield single, and Andy Pages singled. A pitch plunked Heyward. Mookie Betts doubled in three in the fourth with two outs. Ohtani struck out to end the scoring threat.
With an out in the fifth, Paxton walked a batter and got out of the inning unscathed.
Freeman singled to open the fifth and Smith singled Freeman to third. Smith was out trying to get a double. Teoscar Hernandez walked. Lux singled in Freeman. Pages grounded into a force play.
Paxton pitched a flawless sixth.
With one out in the sixth, Ohtani blasted his sixteenth home run of the season. Freeman blasted his eighth home run of the year. Smith singled. Hernandez homered driving in Smith, his team-leading seventeenth. Pages singled. Heyward blasted a two-run homer.
Michael Grove relieved Paxton in the seventh and allowed a solo home run. He also allowed a single but got out of the inning.
With an out in the seventh, a pitch plunked Ohtani. Ohtani scored on a sacrifice fly. Lux walked to load the bases.
In the eighth, Anthony Banda pitched a scoreless inning.
Evan Phillips pitched a perfect ninth
