Ohtani Hits Second Leadoff Homer as deGrom Stars in Rangers’ 5-2 Win Over Dodgers
Rangers Rally to Defeat Dodgers 5-2, Ending Three-Game Skid
The Texas Rangers overcame an early deficit to secure a 5-2 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, avoiding a three-game sweep. Shohei Ohtani opened the game with a leadoff home run against Jacob deGrom, marking his second consecutive leadoff homer.
Evan Carter played a pivotal role for the Rangers, hitting a game-tying home run off Roki Sasaki, who fell to 0-2 on the season. Brandon Nimmo contributed significantly, driving in two runs.
Sasaki struggled on the mound, allowing two runs on five hits and five walks over four innings, while striking out a career-high six batters. His ERA improved slightly to 6.23 after the outing.
Ohtani’s home run came on the first pitch he faced from deGrom, a fastball clocked at 97.9 mph, marking his 26th leadoff home run and fifth of the season. Despite allowing just one run during his six-inning performance—along with four hits, nine strikeouts, and three walks—deGrom improved his record against the Dodgers to 2-11 in regular-season play.
Jakob Junis closed the game with a hitless ninth inning, earning his third save of the season. The Rangers took command in the third inning following Carter’s homer and an RBI single from Josh Smith, making it 2-1.
Nimmo added to the lead with a run-scoring groundout in the sixth inning, and although Kyle Tucker brought the Dodgers back within one with an RBI single in the seventh, Nimmo responded with an additional RBI single in the eighth. Notably, a wild pitch from Will Klein also contributed to Texas’s scoring in that inning.
In an interesting turn of events, Texas catcher Danny Jansen successfully challenged four out of five calls made by plate umpire Charlie Ramos, showcasing the team’s strategic approach throughout the game.
