September 19 – Shohei Ohtani inched closer to the historic 50–50 milestone as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the host Miami Marlins 8–4 on Wednesday night.
Ohtani stole his 49th base. He hit 48 home runs this season and is trying to become the first MLB player to hit 50 home runs and 50 interceptions in the same season.
The Dodgers also hit three home runs. Enrique Hernández hit a three-run shot, Tommy Edelman hit a two-run shot, and Will Smith’s solo homer hit the left field foul pole.
Smith’s home run was his 19th, equaling his total from the previous season. He hit at least 19 home runs in four consecutive seasons.
Dodgers starter Landon Knack (3-4) pitched five innings of two-hit, scoreless innings, giving up seven strikeouts and two four-run balls.
Miami starter Ryan Weathers (3-6) started for the first time since injuring his left index finger June 7. He went 4 1/3 innings, giving up eight hits and six runs (5 ERA).
Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly made his first appearance since Aug. 31 and pitched a scoreless inning. His right shoulder is swollen.
In Wednesday’s first inning, two leadoff hitters — Ohtani and Miami’s Xavier Edwards — singled, took second on a catcher’s throwing error and advanced to third. Both men, however, were in trouble.
The Dodgers opened the scoring with Smith’s home run in the second inning. Marlins catcher Nick Fortes tried to hit the ball low and long, but Weathers missed the opportunity and threw the ball high and in.
Los Angeles extended their lead to 6–0 in the fourth inning. Freddie Freeman singled and Edman homered to start the rally.
Smith reached on third baseman Connor Norby’s pitching error, Andy Page singled, and Hernández hit a home run to end the drive.
Hernandez’s shot went 430 feet—the longest shot of the night.
Miami took the lead in the seventh against Jack Logue on Jonah Bride’s single and Kyle Stowers’s double to start the game. Otto Lopez followed with a two-run single and Fortes followed with a sacrifice fly.
But Los Angeles responded in the eighth inning with a two-run single by Chris Taylor to give the Dodgers an 8–3 lead.
Miami scored in the ninth on Fortes’s sacrifice fly.
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