Ohtani homers twice as Dodgers sweep Braves
LOS ANGELES: Shohei Ohtani went 4 for 4 with two home runs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves, 5-1, on Sunday (Monday in Manila) to sweep the three-game series.
Ohtani launched a hanging curveball from Braves started Max Fried 412 feet over the center field fence for a two-run homer in the first inning. He added a pair of singles in the third and the sixth before leading off the eighth inning with a 464-foot blast off reliever A.J. Minter deep into the left center field bleachers.
Ohtani homers twice as Dodgers sweep Braves
Teoscar Hernandez added a two-run homer and James Paxton took a shutout into the seventh inning for the Dodgers. Paxton (4-0) finished with 6 2/3 innings pitched, five hits and one run allowed, two walks and three strikeouts to remain unbeaten on the season.
It was Ohtani’s first multihomer game with the Dodgers and the 17th of his career. His four hits also tied a career high. He is now tied for the major league lead with 10 home runs this season.
Paxton retired 16 of his first 18 batters to open the game and delivered his longest start since June 30 with Boston.
Marcell Ozuna homered for the Braves, who have lost five of their last six. Fried (2-1) pitched seven innings, allowed four hits and four runs, walked three and struck out seven.
The Braves have scored three runs or less in six of their last eight games. They didn’t advance a runner past first base until Ozuna’s homer in the seventh.
Orioles 11, Reds 1
In Cincinnati, Dean Kremer pitched six shutout innings, Anthony Santander hit his third career grand slam and the Baltimore Orioles completed a three-game series sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.
Jordan Westburg hit a two-run homer and Ryan McKenna added a solo shot for the Orioles, who have won four straight games and six of their last seven.
Kremer (3-2) retired the first 13 batters he faced until Christian Encarnacion-Strand singled with one out in the fifth. The Reds managed only one hit and a walk in Kremer’s six innings. He struck out six.
Orioles starting pitchers were dominant in the three-game series. Cole Irvin pitched six shutout innings on Friday and John Means blanked the Reds through seven Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Reds’ offense continues to sputter. They have scored just two runs in their last 36 innings played in Great American Ball Park. The Reds are batting a major-league worst .209 as a team.