The Dodgers just took a brutal 9-3 L from the Arizona Diamondbacks to kick off their final series before the All-Star break on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Yeah, it was a rough one. But if there was any silver lining to that beatdown, it's that superstar Shohei Ohtani, despite being scratched from his pitching start because of left knee irritation, still looked totally fine as the designated hitter. This dude is something else, even when he's banged up.
Ohtani's Bat Stays Hot, But Pitching Arm Stays Down
Even with his knee bothering him, Ohtani still managed to hit a leadoff home run, his 21st of the season, off Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez. Manager Roberts confirmed they found out about the knee issue Thursday morning and decided to be proactive, maybe drain it, and manage it with the All-Star break rest. Roberts specifically said the injury hasn't affected Ohtani's swing, but they've "certainly curtailed the stealing bases." And yeah, he's still DH'ing the next three games. But the real kicker? Ohtani won't be heading to Philadelphia for next week's All-Star Game. That's a huge blow, especially since his bat is clearly ready.Bullpen Blow-Up and Defensive Disasters Sink Dodgers
The Diamondbacks absolutely feasted on the Dodgers' bullpen game, piling on runs thanks to a staggering three defensive errors. Righty Kyle Hurt opened things up but got tagged for two runs on three hits in just 1⅔ innings. Arizona's Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo started the game with base hits, then Gabriel Moreno singled home Marte. Things got real ugly when Corbin Carroll scored on an errant throw to third from Kyle Tucker, which just sailed into the dugout. Andy Pages did briefly tie it up with his own 419-foot blast, his 17th of the year, but that was it for the Dodgers off Rodriguez, who ended up giving up seven hits but struck out five over six innings for his eighth win. Later, Brock Stewart gave up a two-run homer to Tim Tawa in the fourth, and the D-backs tacked on two more in the fifth after another Dodgers error. Stewart walked Perdomo, then Carroll reached safely on a fielder's choice. An errant throw by Rushing let Perdomo get to third, and Moreno drove him in. Then a balk by Edgardo Henriquez, followed by a wild pitch, allowed Carroll to score. Will Klein took the loss, giving up one run in 1⅔ innings. Arizona's bullpen locked it down, holding the Dodgers to just two hits after the sixth, both in the ninth off Drey Jameson. The Dodgers, now 61-34, have some serious questions to answer about their defense and bullpen stability as they head into the All-Star break. You gotta hope Ohtani's knee can get right with the rest, because they're gonna need him firing on all cylinders when he's back on the mound.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.