LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani matched a franchise record with a homer in the fifth straight game and Freddie Freeman drove in two runs with a two-out single in the ninth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 on Wednesday.
Freeman hit a sinking liner to left field that eluded a diving Harrison Bader and scored Mookie Betts and Ohtani, setting off a wild celebration.
Ohtani hit a solo homer to center in the first, his National League-leading 37th of the season. It marked the seventh time in Dodgers history that a player has homered in five consecutive games. Ohtani joins Max Muncy, Joc Pederson, Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp, Shawn Green and Roy Campanella in that club.
The Twins scored two runs in the eighth off the Dodgers bullpen, one day after scoring seven runs off Los Angeles’ pen in a 10-7 victory.
This time, the Dodgers got the better of the Twins’ bullpen.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow was dominant, allowing three hits and one run with 12 strikeouts in seven innings. The right-hander was making his third start since returning from a shoulder injury.
Minnesota’s Chris Paddack had a strong outing, allowing four hits and one run in six innings with eight strikeouts.
Royce Lewis, a native of Orange County, California, tied the game at 1 with a solo home run off Glasnow in the third inning. He added a double in the fifth and a walk in the two-run eighth, finishing 2 for 2.
Tommy Edman lined a run-scoring, bases-loaded single to right field in the seventh to score Freeman, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
Dodgers reliever Kirby Yates opened the eighth by walking the first three batters he faced. Alex Vesia entered and got Willi Castro to hit into a double play, scoring one run, and pinch-hitter Bader knocked in another run with an infield single.
Ohtani, a three-time MVP, is batting .276 with 70 RBIs. He’s also pitched well in six games and is scheduled to throw four innings on Monday in Cincinnati as he is getting close in his buildup as a starter, coming back from his second right UCL repair surgery.
With an off day on Thursday, Ohtani’s next chance to see if he can homer in six consecutive games will be against the Red Sox in Boston.
The record for consecutive games with a home run is eight, which has been held for a long time by Dale Long, Ken Griffey Jr. and Don Mattingly. Griffey Jr. was the last player to do it in 1993.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked if he thinks Ohtani can reach eight consecutive games.
“Well, I don’t know that answer,” Roberts said. “I do know that if he has the same approach that he’s had the last week, that Green Monster is very short. So any fly ball that he hits will be a homer. So he’s just got to continue to have that same approach when we go to Boston, and then we’ll see what happens.”
Minnesota’s Griffin Jax got the first two outs in the ninth before Betts singled and Ohtani was walked intentionally. Jax walked Esteury Ruiz, loading the bases for Freeman.
Glasnow struck out 12 batters for the first time since June 9, 2024, when he fanned 12 against the Yankees.
Twins RHP Zebby Matthews (1-2, 6.26 ERA) makes his sixth start against when Minnesota hosts Washington on Friday.
Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (101, 4.41 ERA) will face the Red Sox in Boston on Friday.