Dodgers 5, Orioles 2: Ohtani & Betts carry the offense with 3 homers, Kershaw plays stopper yet again to end losing streak

Chad Moriyama 09/07/2025 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

Losses in the regular season don’t come much more brutal than yesterday’s, especially within the context of a tight division race, the expectations for the Dodgers, and their recent horrific play. But today was yet another chance to find something to build on, and they managed to put runs on the board early behind a homer barrage from Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. However, as has been the trend recently, the Orioles began chipping away later, but the pen managed to hang on late this time and end the losing streak with a 5-2 win.

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When things aren’t going well, you turn to your MVP, hoping he can put the offense on his back a bit. Indeed, Shohei Ohtani led the game off with his 47th homer of the year to give them an early 1-0 advantage.

They did strand back-to-back two-out singles later in the 1st, which was still a bit of a trend, but is also why homers are very very very good.

Speaking of, after a clean 2nd, Ohtani led off the 3rd with his 48th homer and Mookie Betts followed with his 16th as he stayed hot to make it 3-0.

The offense rallied again in the 4th as Miguel Rojas led off with a single and then stole second. Hyeseong Kim followed with an infield single on a comebacker off the pitcher to corner the runners, but a strikeout brought Ben Rortvedt up needing something. And so he squared around and seemed to be trying to safety squeeze, and when Rojas got caught taking too big of a lead, he ended up drawing a wild throw for an error and a run. As he trotted home he gave thanks for his good fortune that it was 4-0.

Kim was still at second after that play, and he got to third on a groundout. Ohtani then drew a walk to corner things up, but Mookie couldn’t capitalize on that chance either.

They then got just a one-out single in the 5th before going down in order in the 6th. Not stepping on their throat would cost some years off everybody’s lives soon after.

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For the umpteenth time, it was Clayton Kershaw on the bump trying to play stopper for the Dodgers, and he was yet again game to it.

He started with a 12-pitch clean frame in the 1st, gave up just a two-out walk in the 2nd, got a 1-2-3 inning in a 10-pitch 3rd, and struck out the side in the 4th while allowing just a two-out single. Things looked a bit different in the 5th when a lead-off single started things, but he got the next three, including the last two by strikeout.

The 6th is where the problems started, yet again after two outs. Kershaw got the first two but then gave up a single and a double to break the shutout and make it 4-1.

That also knocked him out of the game, but he certainly did his job: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 83 Pitches.

Of course, there’s a “two” up there on his ledger, and you won’t believe that the pen struggled to get an out. This time it was Edgardo Henriquez, who gave up a double to start his outing, scoring a run and making it 4-2.

Things looked bleak when Henriquez uncorked a wild pitch and fell behind 2-0, but he then got a deep flyout just short of the track to escape without complete disaster.

Justin Wrobleski entered in the 7th and was greeted by a swinging bunt for an infield single, which led to “here we go again” thoughts. Those got worse after a flyout was followed by a single ripped to left that cornered the runners with just one out. However, Wrobleski sacked up and got back-to-back strikeouts against the top of the order to escape with no damage done. Huge.

He then followed by striking out the side in the 8th.

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Back to the offense, they were still struggling with RISP. Ohtani led off the 7th with a walk, but after a soft lineout from Mookie, Freddie Freeman grounded into a potential double play that resulted in an error on the turn, and so he was at second with two down. Michael Conforto worked a walk to put a pair on, but Alex Call grounded out to kill that off.

They then resumed going down quietly in the 8th, but the 9th started extremely well. Rortvedt led off with a single, then Ohtani walked for the third time and third time in a row.

Two homers to stake your team to a lead and then being walked three times in a row as they pitch around you is literally as much of a carry job as Ohtani can do.

— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) September 7, 2025 at 10:16 AM

Mookie came through with a bomb to left off the wall, but only one run scored as both Ohtani and Betts thought it was gone or something. Terrible.

Still, it was 5-2, but that’s all it was. A Freddie flyball followed that would’ve scored a run had they just paid attention at all, and then a Conforto double play killed the rally.

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Regardless, it was just three outs and three runs needed to get a win. Jack Dreyer entered looking for the save, and he started the 9th with a back-to-back strikeouts to make it seven in a row. That streak was then broken up by a single, but he rebounded with a groundout to end the game and the losing streak.

It’s something.

Thank fuck. Now do something with it at home.

— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) September 7, 2025 at 10:30 AM

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NL Playoff SeedingRecordGB
Brewers88-55*–
Phillies83-59*4.5
Dodgers79-649.0
NL WestRecordGB
Dodgers79-64–
Padres77-65*1.5

Well, the Dodgers now return home for three against the Rockies, starting at the usual time of 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET on SNLA. Their starter is still unknown, but it seems like it’ll be Emmet Sheehan unless Tyler Glasnow is somehow ready, and he’ll face off against Chase Dollander.

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