SHOHEI Ohtani led off with one of the Dodgers’ four home runs in the first inning and Tommy Edman went deep twice in the game as host Los Angeles held off the Chicago Cubs for a 10-8 victory on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).
Edman, Will Smith and Max Muncy belted home runs in the opening inning, all in succession against left-hander Jordan Wicks, as the first-place Dodgers avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cubs. Edman hit one home run from each side of the plate.
Ohtani, who also stole a base, has 47 home runs to go along with 48 steals as he closes in on the first 50-50 season in major league history.
The Cubs (75-71) tied the game at 7-7 in the fifth, the key hit a Cody Bellinger three-run homer. The Dodgers (87-59) got the tiebreaking hit from Gavin Lux in the seventh off Shawn Armstrong (3-3).
In other games, it was the Mets 6, Blue Jays 2; Mariners 5, Padres 2; Phillies 3, Rays 2; Pirates 3, Marlins 1; Nationals 5, Braves 1; Tigers 7, Rockies 4; Guardians 6, White Sox 4; Red Sox 5, Orioles 3 (10 innings); Diamondbacks 14, Rangers 4; Yankees 4, Royals 3 (11 innings); Giants 13, Brewers 2; Twins 6, Angels 4; Cardinals 2, Reds 1; and Athletics 5, Astros 4.
Mets 6, Blue Jays 2
Francisco Lindor ended Bowden Francis’s no-hitter with a leadoff homer to ignite a six-run ninth inning as visiting New York defeated Toronto.
Francisco Alvarez added a three-run home run in the Mets’ explosive ninth as New York took the rubber match of the three-game series with Toronto.
It was the second time in four starts that Francis lost a no-hitter on a leadoff homer in the ninth. The Blue Jays’ only no-hitter was pitched by Dave Stieb at Cleveland on Sept. 2, 1990.
Mariners 5, Padres 2
Bryan Woo took a perfect game into the seventh inning as Seattle defeated visiting San Diego.
The Mariners won for the fifth time in seven games to pull within 3 1/2 games of division-leading Houston in the American League West. Woo’s perfect game, no-hitter and shutout were spoiled when Fernando Tatis Jr. lined a 1-0 fastball just inside the left field foul pole with one out in the seventh. Woo (8-2) was charged with two runs on two hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Tatis homered for the Padres, who lost for the fourth time in their past six games and dropped a half-game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks atop the National League’s wild-card standings. Padres starter Michael King (12-9) went five innings and gave up three runs–one earned–on four hits.
