Right-hander Gavin Williams had 10 strikeouts, Gabriel Arias and Jose Ramirez hit home runs and the Cleveland Guardians finished off a challenging season-opening road trip with a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 1.
Williams (1-1) gave up two hits over seven scoreless innings with three walks as the Guardians won two of three games over the two-time defending champion Dodgers. They also split a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners, who were one win away from the World Series last year.
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It was Williams’ fifth career game with double-digit strikeouts.
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shawn Armstrong (43) pitches seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shawn Armstrong (43) pitches seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) is taken out from the game by manager Dave Roberts (30) during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach Robert van Scoyoc (72) makes a throw to first base against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (27) reacts after hitting a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas (72) catches a fly ball hits by Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (not pictured) during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) hits a RBI double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) hits a single against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Parker Messick (77) throws pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) hits a single against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA;Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) steals second base against Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shawn Armstrong (43) pitches seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (27) reacts after hitting a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (44) hits a single against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Angel Martinez (1) steals second base against Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miquel Rojas (72) hits a double against the Cleveland Guardians in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a single against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Daniel Schneemann (10) hits a RBI double during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) hits a RBI double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas (72) catches a fly ball hits by Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (not pictured) during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) hits a single during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Former Olympic gold medalist and Chief Athlete Officer of LA28 Janet Evans walks to the mound to throw out the first pitch before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Guardians series at Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Dodgers
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Former Olympic gold medalist and Chief Athlete Officer of LA28 Janet Evans walks to the mound to throw out the first pitch before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Cleveland won two games by scoring nine runs the entire series. Guardians pitching held the Dodgers to seven runs over the three games.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-1) gave up two runs on four hits over six innings as the Dodgers made history by becoming the first MLB team to start a Japanese-born pitcher in three consecutive games. Right-handers Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani started the first two games of the series.
Freddie Freeman hit a home run with two outs in the ninth inning for Los Angeles, his first, to spoil the Cleveland shutout bid.
Cleveland Guardians starter Gavin Williams throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 1, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
While Ohtani pitched well Tuesday, he is off to a slow start at the plate. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts Wednesday after entering the game 3-for-15, with no extra-base hits. Ohtani, Kyle Tucker and Mookie Betts are hitting under .200 for Los Angeles six games into the season.
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The Guardians’ Daniel Schneemann doubled to lead off the third inning, stole third and scored when Dodgers catcher Will Smith threw the ball to left field on the steal attempt.
Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez (11) is greeted at the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 1, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
Cleveland made it 2-0 in the third when Arias hit a home run to center off Yamamoto. It was the Guardians’ first home run by somebody other than rookie Chase DeLauter, who hit four in the first three games at Seattle.
Ramirez’s first home run of the season was a two-run shot in the eighth against Tanner Scott.
DeLauter did not play Wednesday after he fouled a ball off his left foot in Tuesday’s game.
The Akron Beacon Journal sports department can be contacted via email at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jose Ramirez, Gabriel Arias homer in Guardians win over Dodgers