A new MLB game and in this case we had a real duel, the leaders of the Western Conference, Los Angeles Dodgers, faced the fourth-placed team in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Nationals. In this case, the balance was tipped in favor of the Los Angeles team with two outstanding players, on the one hand Shohei Ohtani and Max Muncy, who each in their own specialty managed to make a difference to beat the team from the US capital.
In general terms, it was another step in Shohei Ohtani’s path to becoming a valuable addition to the Dodgers rotation, moving slowly but surely after his elbow surgery that left him off the diamond for nearly two years. It had not yet been determined when he would pitch again or if his next outings would be longer, to which manager Dave Roberts indicated that it is most likely that Ohtani’s next start will be only one inning.
Ohtani also pitched an inning in the Dodgers victory over the San Diego Padres on June 16, his first appearance on the mound since his last start with the Angels in 2023
Roberts commented on Ohtani: “Much better today as far as his repertoire, the liveliness of his fastball, the control of his pitches, much better. So overall, a very good performance.”
When he left the mound on Sunday, Ohtani changed his glove for the bat and was struck out to open the bottom of the first inning. He would go on to strike out at the end of the third inning, with Rushing on second base after a walk and a balk by Washington starter Michael Soroka.
Muncy’s brutal performance, including a Grand Slam
Muncy had a superb game, the Texas native went to bat four times, and hit two hits. ‘Mad‘ Max got seven runners to the plate. He even broke a long offensive drought before the Dodgers exploded for 13 runs.
The right-handed hitter got his first hit with an impressive grand slam. He hit a 98 mph sinker in the bottom of the sixth inning. That incredible home run ignited the Dodgers offense from that moment on, as they managed to come back from a 3-0 deficit.
What’s next for the L.A. Dodgers?
The Dodgers’ next National League game will be on Tuesday, June 24, against the Colorado Rockies, who are in fifth place in the Western Conference standings and will be looking to challenge the Dodgers’ lead. The game will be at 6:40 p.m. local time at Coors Field in Denver.
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