MIAMI (AP) — In an exciting game on Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Miami Marlins 8-4, with Shohei Ohtani stealing his 49th base of the season. This impressive feat puts him on the brink of making history as the first player in Major League Baseball to achieve both 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
Ohtani began the game by getting a single, followed by a successful steal of second base. However, he faced a challenging outing thereafter, flying out, striking out, and lining out in his next four at-bats.
“What an incredible season for him,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “It’s amazing that he can excel as a designated hitter and still manage to stay nimble enough to steal bases.”
The Dodgers maintained their lead in the NL West with the win, improving their record to 90-62. Tommy Edman contributed with his sixth home run in the last eight games, while Enrique Hernández and Will Smith each added homers to the scoreboard. Freddie Freeman also showcased his batting skills with three hits.
This victory marked the Dodgers’ 90th win of the season, a remarkable achievement as it is the 11th consecutive year they have reached this milestone in a 162-game season. “It’s highly impressive. The Dodgers are one of the most consistent winning organizations in baseball,” Roberts noted. “Reaching October isn’t something that can be taken for granted—many teams don’t get that opportunity.”
Starting pitcher Landon Knack (3-4) delivered a strong performance, allowing only two hits in five scoreless innings while recording two walks and striking out seven. This outing was a turnaround for Knack after a disappointing previous start against Atlanta, where he allowed five runs in just two innings. “I wasn’t content with my last game, so I was eager to perform better,” Knack remarked.
Smith set the tone early with a solo home run in the second inning, driving a pitch from Miami’s Ryan Weathers over the left-field wall for his 19th homer of the season. The game shifted significantly in the fourth inning when the Dodgers erupted for five runs against Weathers (3-6), with Edman launching a two-run homer followed by a three-run dinger from Hernández. “I’ve been working hard to fix some bad habits in my swing,” Edman said, referencing his recent surge in power.
The Marlins managed to cut into the Dodgers’ lead with a two-run single from Otto López and a sacrifice fly from Nick Fortes in the seventh inning, but Chris Taylor responded by extending the Dodgers’ lead with a two-run single in the eighth.
Weathers’ day ended after Freeman hit a double in the fifth, with the left-handed pitcher giving up six runs and eight hits while striking out five during his first start since June 7, due to a left index finger strain. “It felt good to be back, but I wish I could have performed better,” Weathers commented.
On Wednesday, the Marlins welcomed a crowd of 17,138 fans, bringing their total season attendance to 1,007,039, a figure that ranks just ahead of the Oakland A’s in attendance numbers.
Before the game commenced, the Dodgers announced that they activated right-handed reliever Joe Kelly from the injured list and selected Zach Logue’s contract from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Kelly made a return by pitching a perfect sixth inning. Meanwhile, the club optioned right-handed pitchers Bobby Miller and Michael Grove to Oklahoma City.
TRAINER’S ROOM
For the Dodgers, left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw (left big toe bone spur) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday, which Roberts considered a crucial step in his rehabilitation process. In addition, infielder Miguel Rojas was a last-minute scratch due to feeling “under the weather.”
On the Marlins’ side, right-handed pitcher Max Meyer continues to rehab from right shoulder bursitis at the team’s spring training facility in Jupiter, Florida. He is set to be evaluated soon for a potential throwing program.
UP NEXT
The Dodgers will send right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty (12-7, 3.04) to the mound for the series finale on Thursday, while the Marlins will counter with right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera (4-7, 4.55).
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