By Saurabh Katiyar | San Diego
Shohei Ohtani extends hitting streak as Dodgers reclaim NL West lead
Shohei Ohtani delivered another powerful performance Monday night as the Los Angeles Dodgers fought back to defeat the San Diego Padres 5-4 in a dramatic National League West showdown.
Ohtani hit two doubles, drove in a run and extended his hitting streak to six games as the Dodgers erased a late tie and secured a crucial road victory. The win pushed Los Angeles back to the top of the NL West standings with a 30-19 record.
The game stayed tight throughout the night, with both teams trading big hits and home runs before the Dodgers finally pulled ahead in the ninth inning after a costly Padres error.
Ohtani started the game aggressively. In his first at-bat, he smashed a double off Padres starter Griffin Canning. Moments later, Freddie Freeman launched his fifth home run of the season to give Los Angeles an early 2-0 lead.
However, the Padres answered immediately in the bottom of the first inning. Manny Machado crushed a two-run homer against Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan, tying the game 2-2 and energizing the home crowd.
Ohtani Keeps Dodgers Alive in Tight Battle
The Padres grabbed momentum again in the third inning when Miguel Andujar hit a two-run homer to put San Diego ahead 4-2. It marked another difficult moment for Sheehan, who struggled with long balls during his outing.
Ohtani continued creating pressure at the plate. He walked during the third inning and later helped the Dodgers cut the deficit in the fifth. With a runner on third base, Ohtani hit a ground ball that brought home a run, making the score 4-3.
Freeman delivered again in the sixth inning. The veteran first baseman blasted his second home run of the game, a solo shot that tied the score 4-4 and shifted momentum back toward Los Angeles.
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Dodgers Bullpen Shuts Down Padres
Ohtani nearly gave the Dodgers another lead in the eighth inning after hitting his second double of the game against Padres reliever Adrian Morejon. He later advanced to third base but remained stranded.
The decisive moment arrived in the ninth inning. The Dodgers reached base with a walk before Padres closer Mason Miller committed a costly pickoff error. Pinch runner Alex Call advanced to third base on the mistake.
Andy Pages then hit a sacrifice fly that drove in the go-ahead run and gave Los Angeles a 5-4 lead.
The Dodgers bullpen protected the advantage with dominant late-inning pitching. Five relievers combined to hold the Padres scoreless after Sheehan exited the game.
Tanner Scott earned the win after pitching 1.1 strong innings and striking out two batters. Miller took the loss for San Diego after allowing the decisive run following his ninth-inning error.
Ohtani finished the night with two doubles, one RBI and one walk in three official at-bats. He has now recorded hits in six straight games, including five multi-hit performances during that stretch. His batting average improved to .272.
Fans and analysts praised Ohtani’s consistency as the Dodgers continue battling for control of the division during the early part of the MLB season.
