Ohtani steals base/ Dodgers beat Marlins/ 50-50 season/ Ohtani chases milestone/ Newslooks/ MIAMI/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Shohei Ohtani stole his 49th base, moving closer to becoming the first player in MLB history with 50 home runs and 50 steals in a season, as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Miami Marlins 8-4. Tommy Edman hit his sixth homer in eight games, while Will Smith and Enrique Hernández also went deep, securing the Dodgers’ 90th win of the season.
Ohtani Inches Toward 50-50 Mark in Dodgers’ Win: Quick Looks
- Ohtani’s Milestone: Shohei Ohtani stole his 49th base, moving closer to achieving 50 home runs and 50 steals in a single season.
- Dodgers’ Victory: Los Angeles secured an 8-4 win over the Marlins, with homers from Tommy Edman, Will Smith, and Enrique Hernández.
- Pitching Bounce Back: Landon Knack pitched five scoreless innings after struggling in his previous start.
- Consistent Dodgers: The Dodgers reached 90 wins for the 11th consecutive season.
Ohtani Swipes 49th Base in Dodgers’ 8-4 Victory Over Marlins
Deep Look:
Shohei Ohtani continued his historic season on Wednesday night, stealing his 49th base and moving closer to becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. Ohtani’s effort helped the Los Angeles Dodgers secure an 8-4 win over the Miami Marlins, keeping the NL West leaders 3 1/2 games ahead of second-place San Diego.
Ohtani, who began the night just two shy of both milestones, singled to lead off the game before swiping second base. Though he didn’t add to his home run tally, Ohtani remains in pursuit of the 50-50 achievement, a feat that would cement his already historic season.
“What a season – it is remarkable that he can hit as a DH but what’s more remarkable is that he keeps his legs loose to be able to steal,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game.
The Dodgers also received a power boost from Tommy Edman, who hit his sixth home run in the last eight games, along with blasts from Enrique Hernández and Will Smith. Freddie Freeman added three hits in the win, marking the Dodgers’ 90th victory of the season, their 11th consecutive season hitting that mark in a full 162-game schedule.
“It’s pretty impressive,” Roberts said of the team’s consistency. “It’s one of the best organizations in baseball as far as consistency of winning.”
Landon Knack delivered a strong performance on the mound, tossing five scoreless innings while giving up only two hits and striking out seven. The outing was a bounce-back for Knack after a rough start against Atlanta last week, in which he gave up five runs in just two innings.
“Obviously, not happy with that one,” Knack said of his previous start. “I was very angry and ready to bounce back.”
Will Smith got the scoring started early for the Dodgers, launching a solo home run in the second inning off Miami starter Ryan Weathers. Smith’s blast was his 19th of the season, and the Dodgers added five more runs in the fourth inning to break the game open.
Tommy Edman’s two-run homer in the fourth was part of a five-run inning, with Enrique Hernández adding a three-run shot to cap the offensive burst. Edman, who has been on a power surge recently, credited his recent form to working on correcting some bad habits at the plate.
“I’ve had some bad habits that I’ve developed and I’ve been working hard to correct those,” Edman said. “It’s still a work in progress but I think it’s getting better.”
Miami made a push to get back into the game in the seventh inning with a two-run single from Otto López and a sacrifice fly by Nick Fortes, cutting the Dodgers’ lead to 7-3. However, Chris Taylor’s two-run single in the eighth inning extended Los Angeles’ lead, securing the win.
Weathers struggled in his return to the mound, making his first appearance since June 7 due to a finger strain. He allowed six runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings, striking out five. Despite the loss, Weathers was happy to be back on the field.
“I was happy to be back,” Weathers said. “I wish I could have thrown the ball better.”
The win also saw the return of Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly, who was activated from the injured list before the game. Kelly pitched a perfect sixth inning, while Zach Logue, who was called up from Triple-A, pitched in relief after Knack.
The Dodgers continue their series against Miami on Thursday, looking to build momentum as the postseason approaches.
