Ohtani and Betts hit consecutive home runs in the ninth inning, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-5 comeback victory over the Colorado Rockies
Shohei Ohtani hit a home run to tie the game in the ninth inning, and Mookie Betts followed with a walk-off homer, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers come back to win 6-5 against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. This victory keeps the Dodgers three games ahead in the National League West.
Ohtani had four hits and stole two bases, bringing his season totals to 53 home runs and 55 steals.
As the Dodgers started the ninth inning down by one run, Ohtani connected with Seth Halvorsen’s fourth pitch, an 89-mph split-finger, sending it over the right-center field wall.
“To start that ninth inning with Shohei continuing to do what he does, he just doesn’t seem human right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I really haven’t seen a player as locked like Shohei is for as long as he’s been in quite some time.”
Betts then hit a walk-off home run to left field on a 101-mph sinker from Halvorsen (2-1), marking his 19th home run of the season.
“It was huge, especially when you’re looking at the scoreboard and you see San Diego won,” Betts said. “I didn’t mean to look at it, but they won and we needed to win a game there. Shohei starts it off with a homer there to give us some energy and fortunately I was able to put a good swing on it.”
Halvorsen, a rookie in his 10th game, had just earned his first career save the day before.
“You never want to expect the outcome of a pitch,” Halvorsen said when asked about facing Ohtani as the tying run in the ninth. “You want to focus on the process and focus on executing a pitch.”
Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, aiming to secure a place in the Dodgers’ playoff rotation, gave up four runs on five hits over three innings, along with three walks.
Yamamoto is likely to be the No. 2 starter in the upcoming playoffs for Los Angeles, returning from a three-month injury absence.
Teoscar Hernández and Kiké Hernández also hit home runs for the Dodgers, while the five pitchers for Los Angeles combined for a season-high 17 strikeouts. Blake Treinen (7-3) struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers did not lead at all in Saturday’s loss to the last-place Rockies, and they entered the seventh inning on Sunday down by four runs. Entering the ninth in the series finale, the Dodgers had trailed all game to that point.
Then Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts happened, hitting back-to-back home runs to stun Colorado in a 6-5 walk-off win at Dodger Stadium.
For Betts, it was his second career walk-off home run, and his first since July 27, 2018 while with the Red Sox, against the Twins. Both Ohtani and Betts showed more emotion than usual in their trips around the bases, gesturing and yelling toward an exuberant home dugout.
