Apr 8, 2024 | Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Sports, Valleys

Dodgers are league leaders

In game two of the series the Men in Blue came away with a 6-3 victory as Outman and Will Smith each hit a three-run homer as Los Angeles won for the third time in four games. Mookie Betts walked three times and scored a run. It was Smiths first homer of the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) gestures after hitting a double against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Minneapolis.((AP Photo/Abbie Parr)© Provided by The Associated Press)

Earl Heath

Contributing Sports Writer

After a strong home open series at the DODGERS went on the road and came away with wins in Minnesota. They took the first two games from the Twins.

Shohei Ohtani had three extra-base hits. He and James Outman homered in the seventh inning to back James Paxton’s strong six innings in the DODGERS 4-2 win over the Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis.

It was Outman’s hit his first homer of the year after an 1-13 slump. “My teammates kept me positive,” Outman.

Paxton (2-0 ) went 6 innings giving up three hits while striking out four, Paxton was followed by relievers Ryan Brasier, Daniel Hudson, and Evan Phillips each pitching perfect frames, giving Dodgers pitchers 18 straight outs to finish the win. The Dodgers are 8-1 when a DODGER pitcher lasts at least five innings, and 1-3 when they don’t so far in 2024..

They are the first team in MLB to reach the ten-win mark. At Press time they are 10-4.

A strong showing by Tyler Glasnow helped in game two against the Twins, The Santa Clarita native pitched seven innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just three hits while striking out 14. With just 88 pitches thrown, The Hart High Alum became only pitcher in MLB history to record 14+ batters (career high) while throwing less than 90 pitches, since pitches were first tracked in 1988, according to OptaStats.

“He’s obviously a really talented pitcher, really competing well,” said Skipper Dave Roberts. “I think that what we haven’t seen is, from start to finish, that he’s been synced up with his delivery. He’s a big guy (6-foot-8). There’s a lot of things going everywhere. So to kind of keep that under control is not easy, certainly. So I’m looking forward to, from pitch one to pitch 101, to have it synced up and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”