Dodgers Defeat Guardians With Impressive 6-Run 1St Inning, Led By Homer Pages.

The Los Angeles Dodgers emerged victorious against the Cleveland Guardians with a commanding 7-2 win in an interleague matchup between division leaders. Andy Pages sealed the deal with a two-run homer in the first inning, contributing to the Dodgers’ six-run lead.

Mookie Betts also impressed by hitting a home run for the Dodgers, pushing their lead in the NL West to five games over San Diego. In a separate game, San Diego lost 6-3 to San Francisco.

“When you score six runs, it’s always a winning recipe,” said Betts. Despite the Guardians’ strong pitching performance, the Dodgers stood their ground and secured the victory.

In the second inning, Lane Thomas of the Guardians hit a two-run homer, narrowing the gap. However, the AL Central leaders fell short during their nine-game trip, with a 3.5-game lead over second-place Kansas City, who defeated Minnesota 4-2.

Tommy Edman played a key role for the Dodgers, contributing two hits, including a two-run double in the first inning. This forced Cleveland’s starting pitcher, Gavin Williams, to exit the game early. Williams became the first Cleveland starter, who wasn’t an opener since 2021, to fail to get out of the first inning.

Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani, who has been making headlines throughout the season with his exceptional hitting and pitching skills, experienced a less successful night. Ohtani went 0 for 4, remaining at 45 home runs and 46 stolen bases.

Williams struggled on the mound, allowing five runs on two hits and three walks in just two-thirds of an inning. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt acknowledged that Williams was overthrowing and lacked command.

Brent Honeywell secured the win for the Dodgers in a game that saw a total of seven pitchers on their side.

Williams’ struggles began when he walked three batters successively. Edman capitalized on this opportunity with a ground-rule double, driving in two runs. Gavin Lux followed with a sacrifice fly, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0. Miguel Rojas then delivered an RBI single, ending Williams’ short-lived appearance on the mound.

Subsequently, Pedro Avila replaced Williams, but Andy Pages wasted no time and launched a two-run shot, clocking at 432 feet, into the left-center stands. Pages’ impressive rookie season continued, as this marked his 10th home run.

Responding to the Dodgers’ dominance, the Guardians managed to score two runs in the second inning. Lane Thomas, recently acquired from Washington, hit a sinker from Michael Grove just over the left-center wall, bringing hope to the Cleveland team.

Mookie Betts extended his hitting streak to seven games and showcased impeccable performance throughout September. His solo home run in the fourth added to his .450 batting average this month, accompanied by two homers and eight RBIs.

Betts has demonstrated his potency with 16 home runs this season, six of which were achieved in only 24 games since his return from a hand injury that sidelined him for two months.

Cleveland had several opportunities to close the gap against the Dodgers, but they left 10 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Furthermore, the Guardians were unable to capitalize on any of their 13 chances with runners in scoring position.

Dodgers: RHP Jack Flaherty (11-6, 3.01 ERA) has shown strong performances since being traded from Detroit.