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Teoscar Hernández caps thrilling walk-off win…

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Los Angeles Dodgers |
Teoscar Hernández caps thrilling walk-off win for Dodgers

Will Smith and Freddie Freeman deliver two-out doubles to tie it, then Hernández singles in Freeman as the Dodgers edge the Diamondbacks in a seesaw game that includes Shohei Ohtani’s 27th homer, 6-5

The Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off single to score Freddie Freeman during the ninth inning of their 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
The Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off single to score Freddie Freeman during the ninth inning of their 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, left, celebrates his go-ahead two-run home run with teammate Freddie Freeman during the seventh inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani just about made Japanese Heritage Night his very own Tuesday. He just needed a little help to make the evening a complete success.

Ohtani’s two-run 433-foot home run in the seventh inning came in front of a sold-out crowd and gave the Dodgers a brief lead that quickly evaporated.

Down to their last out with nobody on base, consecutive doubles from Will Smith and Freddie Freeman tied the score. Teoscar Hernandez followed with a game-ending single to left field rallied the Dodgers to a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

But it was Ohtani who brought the offense to life just in time.

Those majestic Ohtani home runs can spin a packed house into a frenzy, but he only has so many to go around this season. Asked if he was going to participate in the Home Run Derby later this month at Texas, Ohtani seemed to indicate that it wasn’t going to happen.

“There’s been some conversations going on,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “I’m in the middle of my (elbow) rehab progression, so it’s not going to look like I’ll be participating.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made it sound like more of a certainty that Ohtani will not participate in the long-ball spectacle.

“It would just be a real disappointment for not only Shohei, the Dodgers, and also the fans, if something were to happen during something like that, which is an exhibition, essentially,” Roberts said. “So I know that it’s weighed heavy on him. But I do think that the rehab process is something that kind of, ultimately, makes him feel better about bowing out.”

It makes a home run, like the one Ohtani hit on Tuesday, even more special, even if the Diamondbacks negated it with their own rally.

An eighth-inning throwing error from right-hander Blake Treinen allowed the Diamondbacks to tie the score and former Dodger Joc Pederson hit a chest-thumping home run in the ninth to give Arizona a 5-4 lead.

But the Dodgers still had enough production remaining on a festive night when Japanese singers, musicians and actors took part in pregame ceremonies. Ohtani proved to be one of the bigger attractions and it hardly was a surprise.

The seventh-inning home run was Ohtani’s 27th of the season and his 10th in his last 14 games.

“Shohei is very storybook,” Roberts said. “It seems like whenever there’s anticipation for something to happen, it happens. And guys like that are like Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods. Just look back at the (World Baseball) Classic, him versus (Mike) Trout, that one where he was pitching. And then Japanese Heritage Night, obviously, you’ve got so many people from Japan here. And then he comes up huge. It’s just very storybook.”

As Ohtani’s drive soared well over the wall in right-center, he stood at home plate and admired his work. Until then, it was the injured Yoshinobu Yamamoto who had been the most visible of the Dodgers’ two Japanese-born players.

Yamamoto took part in multiple pregame ceremonies, but Ohtani took center stage.

The Dodgers lost the momentum a half-inning later, though. Gabriel Moreno, who returned from a two-week absence because of a sprained left thumb, walked to lead off the eighth against Treinen.

Jake McCarthy laid down a bunt but Treinen’s throw to first got past Gavin Lux, who was covering the bag, and Moreno scored all the way from first base as the ball rolled into foul territory halfway into right field.

One inning later, Pederson yanked a home run down the right field line on an 0-and-2 pitch from Evan Phillips. It was Pederson’s 11th of the season and the fourth of his career against the Dodgers after he departed following the 2020 season.

With his back to the wall Tuesday, Dodgers right-hander Bobby Miller gave the team something to be excited about in his third start back from shoulder inflammation.

The two-run home run Miller allowed to the Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker in the fourth wasn’t much different from what Miller’s teammates have dealt with. The homer was Walker’s fifth in seven games against the Dodgers this season and his 23rd against the club in 10 seasons.

Miller then loaded the bases in the inning with nobody out before wiggling out of the jam when Alek Thomas struck out, Geraldo Perdomo popped up and Corbin Carroll ground out to keep the score tied.

“Really glad I got out of that,” Miller said. “I got really energetic after that and (Roberts) talked to me a little bit, just settle down a little bit. … Just deep breaths, regroup, go back and get a shutdown inning. I knew the game was close and I knew our offense was going to do the job and get us back in the game.”

Over five innings, Miller gave up two runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Right-hander Evan Phillips (1-0) was tagged for Pederson’s home run but earned the win when the Dodgers rallied in the bottom of the inning.

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