LOS ANGELES – Shohei Ohtani continued his surge in momentum with his fourth home run in three games and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Miami Marlins 6-3 on Monday night in Walker Buehler’s first start in nearly two years.
Ohtani became the first major leaguer to hit 11 home runs this season when he crushed a lofted fastball from Roddery Muñoz (1-1) and sent it 441 feet into center field netting for a two-run shot in the first. inning that tied the score 2-all.
It’s the eighth time in Ohtani’s career that he’s scored three goals in a row, and the fourth time he’s hit four in three games.
Two pitches after Ohtani’s home run, Freddie Freeman followed with a solo shot to left center, the first time the Dodgers had taken turns this season.
James Outman and Teoscar Hernández also went the distance as the Dodgers won their fourth straight.
Nick Gordon scored as the Marlins lost for the third time in four games on their West Coast trip.
Buehler went four innings, allowing three runs and six hits with four strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches, including 49 strikes.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game that the right-hander’s pitch count would be between 80 and 85.
Ryan Yarbrough (3-1) followed Buehler with three innings of one-hit ball, and Alex Vesia worked the ninth for his first save.
Buehler showed some early nervousness as the first two batters reached base and the Marlins scored twice in the first on RBI singles by Bryan De La Cruz and Jesús Sánchez. Nick Gordon’s home run in the second tied it at 3 before Buehler settled down.
Gavin Lux led off the second with a walk before Outman singled to right center to put the Dodgers up 5-3.
Hernández’s solo shot in the third marked the second time in three games that the Dodgers had hit at least four homers.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: INF Jake Burger was activated after missing 20 games with a left intercostal muscle strain. INF Jonah Bride was acquired by Triple-A Jacksonville.
Dodgers: RHP Joe Kelly was placed on the injured list with a strained right hind shoulder. … OF Jason Heyward (lower back tightness) took batting practice, but it won’t be decided until at least Thursday, when he can begin a period of rehab.
NEXT
Miami RHP Edward Cabrera (1-1, 6.05 ERA) faces RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-1, 2.91) in the midgame of the series.
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