Looking to sweep not only a series against the Blue Jays in Toronto, but also a six-game East Coast swing as well, the Dodgers were locked into a tight one this afternoon. Both teams struggled to take advantage of their chances, but the Dodgers pulled ahead in the middle of the game before the Blue Jays came back to tie it. In the end, it was the second unearned run that cost the Dodgers late as the pen faltered in a 4-3 loss.
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After looking sharp in his season debut, Shohei Ohtani didn’t have command of much of anything today. It’s credit to him then that he found a way to be effective anyway, and it’s the kind of thing Cy Young Award type of pitchers are able to do.
In the 1st, he started by inducing three grounders, but two of them went for singles. Ohtani got out of it with a pop-up and a strikeout. After an error by Alex Freeland in the 2nd on an unlucky hop extended his inning, he came up with a nasty split for a strikeout to end that frame.
First error of the season is from Alex Freeland, coming on what seems like a bad hop. Happens. pic.twitter.com/KwgylRY6gW
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 8, 2026
Today in How Does Anybody Get A Hit, Actually: pic.twitter.com/96WEHYkiSk
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 8, 2026
The 3rd was a bit of a mess again, as a one-out walk was advanced to second on a passed ball by Will Smith, and then with two outs Jesus Sanchez knifed one the other way for a double and an early 1-0 Blue Jays lead.
Jesús gets us started! pic.twitter.com/Sat9hbiWXd
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 8, 2026
After not allowing anything further in the 3rd, he then got two clean innings in a row, including a huge six-pitch frame in the 5th that allowed him to come out for the 6th.
In that 6th he was met by a lead-off double, but a great play by Miguel Rojas at short on a grounder to get the lead runner at third changed the entire inning. After that, a foul out and a groundout later and Ohtani was out of that jam as well.
Yeah. https://t.co/YwEdcQLwcY pic.twitter.com/1kSAHeN6wD
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 8, 2026
His strikeouts total is a testament to his laboring, but just an unearned run: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 96 Pitches.
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On the mound for the Blue Jays was new signing and former Padres starter Dylan Cease, and he started by walking the first two batters of the game. However, a strikeout and a liner that resulted in a double play after Kyle Tucker was caught off the bag ended that threat.
Cease then settled in with a clean 2nd and 3rd, but out of nowhere the Dodgers got a rally in the 4th. With one down, Will Smith rolled a grounder to third for an infield single and got to second on a throwing error. Freddie Freeman then hit the first pitch he saw for a single up the middle to tie things up at 1-1.
Freddie for the tie! pic.twitter.com/HRyfgQr3RB
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 8, 2026
Cease limited the damage there in the 4th and worked around a single and hit batter in the 5th as well. He wasn’t given the chance to do it in the 6th, as he walked Will Smith, Freddie singled again, and Max Muncy drew a walk to load things up.
Their pen did a good job from there, as Teoscar Hernandez hit a sac fly for a 2-1 Dodgers lead, but a strikeout and groundout followed to minimize the damage.
Teoscar gives the Dodgers the lead with a sac fly. pic.twitter.com/LmacLeJ6qr
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 8, 2026
The offense did come right back in the 7th again with a couple of walks from Miguel Rojas and Kyle Tucker with only one out to start a rally, and then Will Smith came up with a single to score another run and make it 3-1 Dodgers.
Smith singles and Rojas scores on Varsho’s pea shooter. pic.twitter.com/hMD8bgcmKC
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 8, 2026
That left runners at second and third with juts one out, but a groundout from Freddie Freeman, a free pass to Max Muncy to load things up, and then a Teoscar Hernandez flyout let that chance pass.
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That immediately ended up proving significant, as the Dodgers pen entered in the 7th in the form of Jack Dreyer and struggled mightily. After a lead-off walk, he got a flyout, but then gave up a single, a double for a run, and then another single for another run to tie things up at 3-3.
Blake Treinen entered to put out the fire, and after a stolen base, he issued an unintentional intentional walk to load the bases, got a huge strikeout, and then a groundout to keep things knotted.
Treinen strands the bases loaded with a strikeout and groundout to salvage Dreyer’s bad day. pic.twitter.com/HTBmPncGfa
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 8, 2026
Ben Casparius entered in the 8th and got an out to start, but then issued a walk, which really seem to be killing them of late. On an 0-2 count, he hung a curve and allowed a bouncing single through the infield to put a pair on at the corners. Then on a steal attempt, Rojas couldn’t glove the throw from Smith and it got past him far enough for an unearned run to score on an error to make it 4-3 Blue Jays.
Casparius got a groundout and flyout to end it without further insurance, but it was enough.
The bats went quietly in the 8th, and couldn’t take advantage of one-out single and walk in the 9th to snap their winning streak.
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Andy Pages‘ progress.
Video: pic.twitter.com/TBEJdp31Xv
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 8, 2026
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Now 9-3 on the season.
The Dodgers will now travel home on an off-day for a three-game series with the Rangers, starting at 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET. It’ll be Tyler Glasnow looking to continue to build on his great start against Kumar Rocker.
.webp?ssl=1 "The state of play at Mercedes after three rounds of the 2026 season")
