Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers (16-7) dropped the opener in San Francisco last night, as sloppy defense and non-existent offense led to a 3-1 loss. Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggled with his command in the first inning and got no favors from his defense, leading to a three-run inning and a scary looking collision between Teoscar Hernandez and Alex Call in his first start in center. Yamamoto allowed four hits and a walk in the first, but was able to settle down and get through seven innings with only six hits and two walks allowed. He kept the Dodgers in the game, but got his 2025 run support with the lone Dodger run coming on a one-out bases-loaded walk that was followed up by an inning-ending double play. That was their only threat against Landen Roupp, and the Giants deployed five relievers for four shutout innings to get their 10th win of the season. The Dodgers have now lost three of four for the first time this season and find themselves not alone in first in the NL West for the first time this season.
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| 6:45 P.M. | San Francisco | ||
| DH | Ohtani (L) | SS | Adames |
| RF | Tucker (L) | 2B | Arraez (L) |
| C | Smith | 3B | Chapman |
| 1B | Freeman (L) | 1B | Devers (L) |
| LF | T. Hernández | DH | Schmitt |
| 3B | Muncy (L) | RF | Lee (L) |
| CF | Pages | LF | Ramos |
| SS | Kim (L) | CF | Gilbert (L) |
| 2B | Rojas | C | Bailey (S) |
| P | Ohtani (R) | P | Mahle (R) |
Shohei Ohtani makes his fourth start of the season coming off a pretty dominant outing against the Mets. Ohtani allowed an earned run for the first time this season, but only allowed two hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts over six innings. It was his first time pitching and NOT hitting since 2021 and it did go pretty well, but he is back in the lineup today (much to Craig Counsell‘s dismay or some shit). Ohtani’s gone exactly six innings in each of his three starts and has only allowed seven hits, six walks and two runs (one unearned) with 18 strikeouts. Ohtani faced the Giants once last year in his pseudo-rehab assignment stint coming off his injury. It was his fifth start of 2025 and his first time completing three innings, with one hit and one walk allowed. He’s only allowed one run in 15 career innings against the Giants with the lone run coming on a Mike Yastrzemski homer.
Tyler Mahle makes his fifth start as a Giant and it has not gone well so far. Mahle has a 7.23 ERA/7.00 FIP in 18 2/3 innings over his four starts. Most of that damage came in two starts. In his second start against the Mets, Mahle allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings with two walks and two homers allowed. He did follow that up with 5 2/3 shutout innings against the Phillies, but got lit up in his last start in Cincinnati. Mahle allowed eight hits and eight runs with five walks in only four innings in Cincinnati and served up four homers. Sal Stewart and Eugenio Suarez went back-to-back in the first and Stewart hit another in the second, both his homers were three-run bombs. Elly De La Cruz made it four in the fourth but he got through that inning to end a rough homecoming for the six-year Red. Mahle’s faced the Dodgers seven times in his career and has a 3.72 ERA in 38 2/3 innings. Most of those starts came pre-2022, but he did dominate the Dodgers last season as a Ranger. Mahle got the 4/20 start in LA and allowed two hits over seven shutout innings. He did only strike out four and walked two, but the Dodgers couldn’t figure him out. The Rangers also Yamamoto’d him, as he took a no-decision in a 1-0 Dodger win.
Last night, the Dodgers faced a pitcher that hadn’t allowed a barrel this season. Tonight, they face a pitcher tied for the fifth-most barrels allowed with 10. Mahle does have a 52.7 percent ground ball rate, which makes the six homers he’s allowed in four starts even more impressive. Mahle’s thrown a 4-seamer 44.4 percent of the time and 4 of the homer’s he’s allowed have come off it (numerologists go do something with that). He’s also thrown a splitter (28 percent), cutter (12.7 percent), slider (10.2 percent) and sinker (4.8 precent).
After a couple days of some guys getting days off, the Dodgers roll out a relatively normal lineup. Will Smith and Andy Pages are back in and this is essentially their usual lineup against righties, with the only change being Alex Freeland sitting for Miguel Rojas. The Giants go with the same lineup as yesterday.
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Not really any updates pregame, but Blake Snell is throwing his first rehab start today.
its real people. it’s happening. blake snell is our starting pitcher today in san jose. it’s not a dream? pic.twitter.com/rhKeeLrqD5
— Ontario Tower Buzzers (@towerbuzzers) April 22, 2026
Yesterday, Katie Woo reported that Snell would need three or four rehab starts before rejoining the big league team.
Notes from pregame:
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) April 22, 2026
– 3 innings for Snell in his rehab start tomorrow
– Min. 3 starts for Snell to be activated, but probably 4
– Roberts won't name a closer with Díaz out, but Scott is in line to see the most opportunity (though this is fluid and will change based on scenario)
In other pitcher rehab news, Brock Stewart had his third rehab outing for yesterday for OKC. Stewart’s been very good in his rehab starts, allowing one hit in 2 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and no walks.
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First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 PM PT and will be on SportsNet LA.
