The three-game series with the struggling Royals began with fireworks early, but things settled down quickly after that. Fortunately, it was the Dodgers who were last to score, as neither team did anything over the final four innings in a 5-4 win.
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The game started with a rarity for the Dodgers, as they scored first behind Shohei Ohtani leading the game off with his 29th dinger to make it 1-0.
Shohei splash! pic.twitter.com/e7Nafo9dgZ
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 28, 2025
Unfortunately, that didn’t last long, as Dustin May continued to struggle. After he got the first two outs of the 1st, he gave up a double, walked a batter, and gave up a single to Salvador Perez to score a run as Enrique Hernandez‘s throw was way high for an error (a rather routine throw gets him). 1-1.
The bats got May the lead back in the 2nd, as a two-out Tommy Edman walk was followed by Max Muncy‘s 13th dinger of the season to make it 3-1 Dodgers. Off a lefty is how you know he’s really feeling it.
Max to dead center! pic.twitter.com/fd3qzddR99
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 28, 2025
No matter, as May also coughed that lead up in the bottom of the inning, allowing a walk, a Kyle Isbel double for a run (Teoscar Hernandez misread it or something), and then a Bobby Witt Jr. two-out, two-run homer to give the Royals a 4-3 lead.
After that exciting start, things finally settled down a bit, with both sides getting scoreless 3rd and 4th innings. That also marked the end of the line for May, who … was pretty terrible: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 84 Pitches.
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It was the Dodgers that struck next, as a lead-off walk to Enrique in the 5th was immediately cashed in by a Shohei triple to tie the game up.
Shohei triple for the tie! pic.twitter.com/MjjLFIVpHt
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 28, 2025
On the very next pitch, it was Mookie Betts singling to center for a 5-4 lead all of a sudden.
Moooooook. pic.twitter.com/sdxRl0mPrp
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 28, 2025
That was all the lineup would get, as the Royals put zeroes up for the final four innings.
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And so, it was on the pen to keep the lead. Just like we all expected, Luis Garcia started things off in the 5th, making his return from the IL by working around a two-out walk and a single. He handed things off to Lou Trivino, who picked off an infield single to face the minimum in the 6th. He also came out and got the first two outs of the 7th, then gave way to Anthony Banda, who promptly gave up a double and issued an intentional walk. Thankfully, he managed to work around that trouble without giving up a run.
The 8th belonged to Alex Vesia, who hit a batter but didn’t face any other issues. That set things up for Tanner Scott, who got a fortunate strike three call to start the 9th, but then gave up a groundball single against the shift and issued a four-pitch walk to put himself in trouble. After another bloop single fell in as Teoscar’s defense continues to plague the team, it was bases loaded with one out.
Thankfully, a double play bailed them out, completed by the pick of the season by Freddie. Wow.
Freddie saves not only the tying run but a potential walk-off with this pick to complete a game-ending double play. With replays. Wow. pic.twitter.com/SXVXo5Qmul
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 28, 2025
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The series resume tomorrow a few hours earlier for the weekend at 10:10 AM HT/1:10 PM PT/4:10 PM ET. It’ll be Shohei continuing his rehab for maybe more than an inning (?) against Seth Lugo.
