LOS ANGELES — Teoscar Hernández ignited the Los Angeles Dodgers’ offensive burst with a crucial home run to left field in the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, ultimately leading his team to an 8-4 victory on Saturday night and ending their three-game losing streak. Shohei Ohtani contributed significantly to the win with a triple and two doubles.
Hernández’s homer, which came off Colin Holderman, set the tone for the Dodgers, with pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández following up with a three-run blast off Joey Wentz—marking the eighth pinch home run of his career. This power surge came after the Pirates had taken a 4-3 lead in the seventh with Bryan Reynolds’ RBI grounder. However, the Dodgers were quick to respond, equalizing in the bottom of the inning through Ohtani’s RBI double. Reliever Kirby Yates, who pitched a scoreless eighth, was instrumental in maintaining the Dodgers’ momentum.
At the start of the game, Oneil Cruz made an impressive statement for the Pirates by hitting Los Angeles pitcher Roki Sasaki’s first pitch over the center-field wall, recording his eighth homer for the season. Responding in the bottom of the first inning, Ohtani doubled and then came home courtesy of a two-bagger from Teoscar Hernández. An error from Pirates’ second baseman Adam Frazier, who mishandled Edman’s grounder, enabled Hernández to score, setting up the early narrative.
The Pirates temporarily regained the lead in the fifth with Cruz delivering a 111 mph RBI single for a 3-2 advantage. Nonetheless, the Dodgers recalibrated quickly with Ohtani, who hit a one-out triple in the sixth inning and then scored through a Freddie Freeman two-out single.
A pivotal play unfolded in the seventh inning when Dodgers’ first baseman Freeman made a fantastic backhand stop on a grounder from Emmanuel Valdez. This maneuver allowed Freeman to throw from his knees to the pitcher Evan Phillips, now relieving, to secure the out, halting the Pirates’ momentum.
A noteworthy comeback for Ohtani, who after a period of struggle post-paternity leave—going 2 for 16 with six strikeouts—rediscovered his form during this match. He and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, had recently welcomed a baby girl on April 19.
As the series approaches its finale, the Dodgers will send right-hander Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 3.71 ERA) to pitch, while the Pirates will be countering with left-hander Bailey Falter (1-2, 5.19 ERA).