The Los Angeles Dodgers rediscovered their offense in a dominant 8-3 win against the Houston Astros Monday evening.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto got the ball for the first game of the series, and earned a win for his efforts behind LA’s offensive display. He pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs on give hits and one walk. He also logged eight strikeouts.
The Dodgers’ bats got started right out of the gate, and while they didn’t immediately find the power, they managed to string together three singles to drive in the first run of the game in the top of the first inning. Andy Pages stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded later in the inning, but couldn’t capitalize.
Kyle Tucker further extended the Dodgers’ advantage in the third, hitting a solo homer of his own, before a bases-loaded force out from Ohtani scored another. Freddie Freeman singled afterwards, scoring two with the help of an error.
Freeman struck again for the Dodgers in the fifth inning, scoring Freeland from second with another RBI single.
The Astros added onto their total in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer off the bat of Zach Cole, but failed to put any more runs on the board throughout the rest of the game. Blake Treinen, Kyle Hurt and Jack Dreyer combined for three scoreless innings in relief to put the game to bed.
Yamamoto bounced back well after his first-inning mishap, retiring 11 in order after allowing the second run of the game and tallying his third win of the year.
The Dodgers will hope to keep the offense going in the second game of the series, during which Shohei Ohtani will make his seventh start of the season. That game begins Tuesday at 5:10 p.m. PT.
How did you feel about the Dodgers’ performance today?