Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts as the Los Angeles Dodgers secured a 4-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants on September 26, leaving the team on the verge of its 100th win of the major league baseball season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers traveled to San Francisco for the second game of a three-game series against the Giants, edging out a tight 4-3 win thanks to late-game power. Enrique Hernandez broke a late-game tie with a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning to put the visitors ahead for good. The narrow victory brought the Dodgers’ season win total to 99.
Shohei Ohtani’s Batting Struggles Continue Since Return from Injury
Batting second and serving as the designated hitter, Shohei Ohtani recorded one hit in five plate appearances while striking out twice during the matchup at San Francisco. Since returning from injury on September 24, Ohtani has experienced a cold stretch at the plate. In his last four games, Ohtani has had 18 at-bats with four total hits—including a single double—while driving in one run and racking up eight strikeouts, with five of those strikeouts coming in his most recent two games.
Mookie Betts Powers Early Offense Before Late-Game Heroics
The Dodgers manufactured their initial offense early in the contest when leadoff hitter Mookie Betts launched a solo home run in the top of the third inning. The shot marked Betts’ 23rd home run of the season and put the first run on the board. San Francisco fell behind 3-1 through the first six frames before rallying with single runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to level the score.
The deadlock broke when Hernandez connected off Giants reliever Trent Harris in the final frame. The loss added to a tough season for San Francisco, which sat at 96 losses—the second-worst mark in the National League behind only the Colorado Rockies, who held 103 losses before their own action.
Chasing the Triple-Digit Win Milestone on the Final Day
With the regular season concluding, the Dodgers stand as the only team besides the Milwaukee Brewers—who faced the St. Louis Cardinals aiming for their 102nd victory—with a chance to reach the 100-win threshold. Los Angeles previously finished the 2023 campaign with a 100-62 record, capturing three consecutive seasons of triple-digit victories. The final game of the regular schedule offers the franchise its twelfth 100-win season in team history.
