ARLINGTON, Texas — In a thrilling climax on Saturday, the Texas Rangers emerged victorious, thanks to Adolis García’s two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Facing off against former Texas closer Kirby Yates, García’s power-hitting sealed a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Rangers managed to prevent Japanese rookie sensation Roki Sasaki from capturing his first MLB win, even after he delivered a strong performance across six innings. Sasaki, a 23-year-old right-hander, showed promise in what was his longest outing among his five major league appearances so far.
As the game reached its decisive moments, Texas’ Josh Smith nearly brought the score even, falling just short of a home run by scant feet when his shot veered foul down the right-field line. Undeterred, Smith then secured a double, setting the stage for García’s game-winning 394-foot homer that landed squarely in the left-field seats.
The Dodgers played without their versatile star Shohei Ohtani, who was absent due to celebratory personal reasons, having welcomed the birth of his first child, a daughter. Manager Dave Roberts announced the news during a live in-game interview.
Earlier in the game, the Dodgers were en route to taking a 2-0 lead in the three-game series that showcases recent World Series champions. This prelude ended as García’s decisive homer altered the trajectory.
In the early innings, Sasaki gave up a two-run homer to Kyle Higashioka during the third inning. Despite this, he conceded just two additional hits, while walking three and striking out four.
Freddie Freeman then leveled the match with a two-run homer in the fourth inning, followed by Max Muncy’s two-out ground-rule double, which provided the Dodgers a fleeting lead.
Reliever Jacob Webb delivered two scoreless innings of relief for Texas, helping stabilize the team’s efforts and setting up García’s late-game heroics.
An impressive defensive moment highlighted the game’s early proceedings when LA center fielder Andy Pages leapt to rob Corey Seager of a solo home run, catching the ball right in front of the Dodgers’ bullpen in the first inning.
Kirby Yates, who last season recorded 33 saves with Texas, continued to search for his first with the Dodgers this year. His inability to seal the win marked his first blown save of the season.
Looking ahead, the Dodgers plan to send right-hander Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.85 ERA) to the mound against Texas righty Tyler Mahle (3-0, 0.92 ERA). Mahle stands out as a league leader, boasting a .121 opponent batting average and allowing only 3.66 hits per nine innings, placing him third in ERA rankings.