Ohtani’s slam tames Rays in L.A.

by Gary Shelton on August 24, 2024

in general

Poche gave up a grand slam./JEFFREY S. KING

Saturday, 4 a.m.

Perhaps no one on the Rays is paid enough to get Shohei Ohtani out in a crucial situation.

Certainly, Colin Poche was not up to the task in the bottom of the ninth inning. Ohtani hammered Poche’s first pitch over the right field wall for a game-winning, walkoff grand slam.

It was Ohtani’s 40th home run of the season. Earlier in the game, he had reached his 40th stolen base.




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It was a disappointing night for the Rays, who blew a 3-0 lead to fall to a 64-64 record.

The Dodgers tied the game in the fifth on a three-run homer by Enrique Hernandez off Rays’ starter Tyler Alexander. Alexander had pitched well, but in the fifth,  he gave up a soft single and a walk, and Hernandez connected on a two-strike count.

The walk before the home run was an omen. In the ninth, Poche walked Max Muncy to load the bases with two out. That brought up Ohtani, one of the leading contenders for MVP.

The Rays took their lead on a solo homer by Junior Caminero in the first and a two-run shot by Christopher Morel in the third. The Rays had only two hits in their last six innings.

Caminero and Morel each had two hits for the Rays.

The teams play again tonight at 8:10 p.m. Taj Bradley will start for the Rays against Clayton Kershaw.

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