The downward trend is becoming more and more evident with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who as a team have failed since the end of the first half of the season, where after enjoying a comfortable eight-game lead at the top of the National League West division, they are now threatened on “red alert” by the San Diego Padres. But on an individual level, Shohei Ohtaniis still in the hunt for the home run race, where he hit his 42nd home run tonight and maintains a three-run lead over Cal Raleigh.
It was undoubtedly a bittersweet night for Los Angeles Dodgers fans, as the team fell 7-4 to the Anaheim Angels on the road. As mentioned, the reigning MLB champions have not won three consecutive games since July 2 and of their last 10 series they have lost five and three have been sweeps. In contrast, the San Diego Padres have performed better so far in the second half of the season and thanks to their 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants, they are now one game away from taking the lead in the division.
Shohei Ohtani keeps pressure on Cal Raleigh
The Dodgers had another night to forget. In the sixth inning they were down 7-0 with Yoshimao Yamamoto still on the mound, one of their most consistent pitchers of the season. It was in the eighth inning when the Japanese star hit a solo home run to break the zero and add his personal tally to 42 home runs, where he is still in pursuit of Cal Raleigh, catcher for the Seattle Mariners, who is the leader in this department.
Despite the fact that Ohtani’s long-distance hit caused a reaction from the Dodgers in that same inning with another home run by Max Muncy where he took Mookie Betts and Will Smith ahead of him, at the end of the game they sealed another defeat to put their record at 68 wins and 51 losses while the San Diego Padres reached 67-52. If the trend continues, the San Diego Padres could be the new leader of the National League West Division.
Last call for the Los Angeles Dodgers to defend the National League West
This Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers will have Emmet Sheehan on the mound, while on Wednesday Shohei Ohtani will return with his 100 mph pitches. Any setback, in combination with a positive step by San Diego, the Padres could boast their leadership precisely against the Los Angeles team and curiously at Dodger Stadium. In case the blue and white team gets the necessary victories, they will have a very difficult series to defend the leadership.
MLB champion manager Dave Roberts stressed that there are nights to forget, and this is one of those nights where they found the offensive power too late. “There definitely has to be some urgency. Obviously, I don’t think anyone ignores that the standings are the standings, so it’s gotten a lot more interesting,” referring to the closeness of the Padres to snatch the top of the division. As for Yamamoto’s performance, he said: “From the beginning, it seemed like they came out really impressive. They were hitting early. He couldn’t leverage. He was leaving pitches elevated. He didn’t have his best stuff tonight.”
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