Shohei Ohtani ended his longest home run drought in two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers by hitting two home runs in Saturday’s game against the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers secured an 11-5 win, leveling the National League West series at one game apiece heading into Sunday’s finale.
Ohtani’s home runs came during a crucial game between teams tied for first place in the division. He smacked his first homer off Giants pitcher Landen Roupp in the opening inning, followed by a second home run against Tristan Beck in the sixth inning.
Strong Performances Propel Dodgers Forward
Dodgers veteran Clayton Kershaw delivered a dominant performance, pitching seven scoreless innings in a throwback outing. His command on the mound helped maintain momentum after Ohtani’s early offensive surge.
Looking ahead, right-hander Dustin May will start Sunday’s game. May is coming off a difficult outing in his return from Tommy John surgery, where he allowed six runs in five innings against the San Diego Padres. Despite this setback, May has a solid track record against the Giants, with a 2-1 record and 1.62 ERA in five appearances, although he has not faced them since April 2023.
Giants’ Pitching and Late-Inning Rally
The Giants’ starting pitcher on Saturday, Landen Roupp, struggled early and was pulled before completing the second inning. Conversely, the Giants opened the series Friday with a win behind Logan Webb’s strong pitching. For Sunday’s match, San Francisco plans to start left-hander Kyle Harrison, who will be making his ninth appearance and fifth start this season. Harrison has a 0-1 record with a 3.52 ERA across three career starts against Los Angeles but has struggled recently, posting a 7.71 ERA over his last two outings.
Despite an early deficit, the Giants nearly avoided a shutout. In the ninth inning, with Enrique Hernandez—a position player turned pitcher—on the mound, San Francisco rallied impressively. After loading the bases on three walks, Casey Schmitt hit a grand slam, marking his second grand slam in back-to-back games, a first in Giants franchise history.
Schmitt Reflects on Historic Grand Slams Amidst Team Loss
Casey Schmitt acknowledged the bittersweet nature of his accomplishment after the game, saying,
“I’m just not letting up. I don’t like giving away at-bats. I’m trying to play hard the whole time whether that’s on defense or if they’ve got a position guy going on the mound. I’m locking it in. It all matters. That might have been the first time I ever got a hit off a position guy, even in the minors too.”
—Casey Schmitt
Although proud of his back-to-back grand slams, Schmitt emphasized the importance of the overall game result, stating,
“That’s cool. We lost, though,”
highlighting the team’s priority over individual success.
Implications for the Series and Upcoming Matchup
The Dodgers’ even split with the Giants sets up a high-stakes series finale where they aim to capitalize on Ohtani’s home run comeback and Kershaw’s outstanding pitching. Dustin May’s form will be critical as he attempts to build on his previous success against the Giants while recovering confidence after injury.
For the Giants, Kyle Harrison’s performance will be under scrutiny, as San Francisco seeks to prevent the Dodgers from pulling ahead in the division. The Giants’ late-inning surge in Saturday’s game demonstrated their resilience, but sustaining offensive production and tightening pitching remains essential for them moving forward.