PHOENIX — Tuesday night was a white-knuckle escape act. Wednesday night was a statement. Shohei Ohtani took the mound at Chase Field and shut Arizona down completely, spinning six shutout innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers dismantled the Diamondbacks 7-0 to take a 2-1 series lead. The Dodgers sent 16 hitters to the plate, scored in four of nine innings, and never once gave Arizona a reason to believe this one was up for grabs. It wasn’t. This was Ohtani’s night from the first pitch.
Ohtani the Pitcher Picks Up Where Ohtani the Hitter Left Off
After going 2-for-4 with two RBI from the batter’s box Tuesday, Ohtani flipped the script Wednesday and went to work on the mound. He was locked in from the start. Corbin Carroll was held to soft grounders. Nolan Arenado had no answers. Through six innings, Ohtani allowed just two hits, walked one, and punched out six, working with the kind of quiet, efficient authority that makes a 7-0 final feel routine even when it isn’t.
His ERA on the season now sits at 0.74. He improved to 6-2. Arizona managed a Gabriel Moreno double in the fourth and a Carroll groundout that made it look threatening for about half a second, but that was as close as it ever got. Ohtani needed 27 outs to retire nine batters over six innings, and the Diamondbacks never strung anything together. Jonathan Hernandez took over in the seventh and continued the shutout through two more frames, striking out three and allowing nothing. Jack Dreyer closed it out in the ninth.
Tucker and the Bottom of the Order Do the Damage Early
The Dodgers did not need to wait long to get on the board. Mookie Betts reached on a throwing error by shortstop Geraldo Perdomo to open the second, and Kyle Tucker made Arizona pay immediately, launching his fifth home run of the season on a fly ball to right-center. Just like that, it was 2-0, and Tucker was not finished.
The third inning is where Los Angeles really opened things up. Ohtani drew a walk to start the frame, and Andy Pages doubled to right to put two runners in scoring position. Freddie Freeman singled to left to score them both. Tucker followed with a single to extend the threat, and Max Muncy delivered the knockout blow, a sharp ground ball to center that plated Freeman and made it 5-0. Tucker finished the night 3-for-5 with two RBI. Muncy was 2-for-5 with one RBI. Alex Freeland, batting eighth, went 3-for-4 with two RBI of his own, turning in the kind of quiet, under-the-radar performance that keeps big innings alive.
The Seventh Puts It Away for Good
If there was any doubt the Dodgers were going to cruise to the finish line, the seventh inning removed it. Brandon Pfaadt had replaced Taylor Clarke on the mound, and Max Muncy greeted him with a double to right. Will Smith drew a walk. Alex Call got hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, and Freeland punched a ground ball through the middle to score Muncy and Smith and push the lead to 7-0. The game was over in everything but formality.
Zac Gallen, who entered at 7-3, took the loss after surrendering five runs in 5.2 innings. Clarke and Pfaadt mopped up behind him but could not slow a Dodgers offense that finished with 16 hits and drew five walks. Ohtani picked up the win, Gallen dropped to 3-5, and Los Angeles turned what looked like a competitive series into a one-sided statement game.
Up Next
The Dodgers and Diamondbacks close out their four-game series Thursday at Chase Field. Justin Wrobleski (7-2, 2.87 ERA) takes the ball for Los Angeles opposite Ryne Nelson (2-4, 4.82 ERA) for Arizona. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. PT. A win would give the Dodgers the series.
