It wasn’t exactly the blueprint the Dodgers had in mind.
An early deficit. A rookie reliever pitching in a tied game in the eighth. A couple end-of-bench bats taking key plate appearances in the ninth.
But when it mattered most Friday night, in the Dodgers’ bid to end a four-game losing streak and build some momentum going into next week’s All-Star break, they had exactly who they wanted at the plate.
In a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers, Shohei Ohtani delivered the decisive hit.
When Ohtani came to the plate in the ninth inning Friday, he was scuffling like much of the rest of the Dodgers’ banged-up lineup.
He was 0 for three on the night and seven for 32 over his last nine games. During that time, the Dodgers offense had started to slump, managing just seven total runs during their four-game losing streak.
However, with a thunderous swing and deep fly ball to center, Ohtani sent the Dodgers to a much-needed victory at Comerica Park, breaking a 3-3 tie with a ground-rule double.
In a debut Dodgers season that has seen the slugger post MVP numbers, but also struggle in many leverage situations, it represented one of his biggest moments all season.
For much of Friday, a storybook ending didn’t seem likely for the Dodgers.
They got a poor performance from starting pitcher James Paxton, who gave up three runs in fewer than four innings while walking four batters and striking out just one.
They managed little against Tigers ace and American League Cy Young front-runner Tarik Skubal, scoring two runs in his six innings to carry a one-run deficit late. And even as the team rallied to tie the game in the final couple of frames, they did it in a rather unorthodox way.
After consecutive two-out singles from Will Smith, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández tied the game 3-3 in the top of the eighth, the Dodgers summoned rookie right-hander Michael Petersen to pitch a leverage spot in the bottom half of the inning.
By that point, they had already burned closer Evan Phillips in the sixth (he hadn’t pitched in a week, so the Dodgers were trying to ensure he would face a leverage situation) and set-up man Blake Treinen in the seventh (when the top of the Tigers order came to the plate). Another high-leverage righty, Daniel Hudson, was being saved for the ninth.
Petersen, however, didn’t flinch. Despite giving up a leadoff walk, then committing a balk that put the runner at second with no outs, Petersen retired the side without any damage.
A half-inning later, Ohtani broke the tie with his towering drive. It marked the Dodgers’ first lead in almost a week. Hudson’s save in the ninth ensured a skid-snapping win would follow.