LOS ANGELES – LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a 473-foot home run and the Los Angeles Dodgers went the distance six times in a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Gavin Lux, Austin Barnes and Jason Heyward also connected as Los Angeles swept the three-game series.
“At halftime, we weren’t playing good baseball. And then to come out fresh against a really good club and play the way we played — the offense came alive,” Los Angeles coach Dave Roberts said.
It was the 25th time the Dodgers had launched at least six homers in a game and the first since 2022 against Kansas City. Five came from Boston starter Kutter Crawford (6-8).
“I think just winning, coming back to win a lot of these games, tough situation, really creates a lot of momentum for the team. So I hope to continue moving forward,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
Jarren Duran, the MVP of last Tuesday’s All-Star Game, scored and drove in four runs for the Red Sox (53-45), who fell one game behind the Royals (55-45) for the final wild card of the season. AL.
“The only thing they do is hit a ball in the air, obviously. They hit pitches in the zone, they hit them in the air and they hit some home runs,” Boston manager Alex Cora said.
James Paxton (8-2) allowed three runs on four hits and struck out seven in five innings. Boston rallied for three runs in the ninth, but Daniel Hudson picked up his sixth save.
Barnes’ solo shot gave the Dodgers a 5-2 lead in the fifth, and Ohtani Drove a Crawford mower 473 feet over the stands to become the first NL player with 30 home runs this season. Aaron Judge leads the majors with 35.
According to fans in the region, the ball passed between the pavilion’s roof and an advertising board in the right center of the field, but went beyond the concourse and fell on the catwalk in the stadium square.
“I was looking, but I couldn’t really see where it went,” said Ohtani, who has scored at least 30 goals in four consecutive seasons. “Everyone was kind of impressed.”
Crawford allowed six runs and seven hits in five-plus innings. He became the first Boston starter since Nathan Eovaldi in 2022 to allow five home runs in a game.
“They have a good lineup. It’s pretty deep. They force you to make proposals and execute. And when you don’t execute, they do some damage,” Crawford said. “I left some pitches in the middle of the plate and they didn’t miss.”
Boston took a 2-0 lead on three shots in the game. Romy Gonzalez led off with a first-pitch double before Duran launched Paxton’s fastball into the stands in left center.
Duran went 6-for-12 with two home runs and seven RBIs in the series.
The Dodgers tied it in the bottom half on Freeman’s solo shot to right center and Lux’s RBI double.
Hernández, the winner of last Monday’s Home Run Derby, gave Los Angeles the lead when he hit a shot that just cleared the wall near the right corner of the field.
Lux had a solo shot in the fourth and Heyward, activated from the injured list before the game, hit a two-run hit off former Dodger Kenley Jansen in the eighth.
“I thought we swung the bat really well in Detroit and then it carried over here,” Barnes said. “We obviously pitched well the first two days and they were good wins. And we put together some offensive days. Yes, it’s good to score runs. It’s easier to launch that way, for sure.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: OF Rob Refsnyder was ruled out of the lineup due to left shoulder soreness after attempting to make a catch on Saturday.
Dodgers: SS Miguel Rojas left in the fourth inning with right forearm tightness. He is expected to be out of the lineup on Monday.
NEXT
Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck (8-6), fourth in the majors with a 2.54 ERA, will start the series opener Monday at Colorado.
Dodgers: RHP River Ryan is expected to be called up for his major league debut Monday against San Francisco.
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