MINNEAPOLIS — Shohei Ohtani played a pivotal role both on the mound and at the plate as the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the Minnesota Twins 4-3 in Wednesday’s series finale at Target Field, the Twins’ first sellout of the season.
The much-anticipated pitching duel between Ohtani and Twins starter Joe Ryan unfolded with each going head-to-head in the game’s early moments. Ryan retired Ohtani on a hard-hit line drive to right field to begin the contest, contributing to a three-up, three-down first inning. Ohtani matched Ryan’s pitching performance with a scoreless first frame but issued a walk, setting the tone for an intense back-and-forth contest.
The Dodgers struck first in the second inning when Mookie Betts launched a solo home run, marking the 300th homer of his major league career. Betts continued to shine with a three-hit outing, narrowly missing the cycle. The Twins rallied in response, capitalizing on a passed ball to tie the game. Ohtani loaded the bases before surrendering a first-pitch fastball to Ryan Kreidler that eluded catcher Dalton Rushing, allowing a run to score. Following a conversation involving Ohtani, Rushing, and pitching coach Mark Prior, Kreidler knocked in two runs with a single, giving Minnesota a temporary lead.
Ohtani, who had advocated for the opportunity to both pitch and hit, retaliated offensively in the third inning. After a leadoff double by Alex Freed and a single by Ohtani, the Dodgers staged a three-run surge with runs batted in from Max Muncy and a sacrifice fly by Alex Call, reclaiming the lead.
On the mound, Ohtani allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits during his six innings but helped secure critical offense in his debut pitching appearance for the Dodgers against Minnesota this season. Ryan exited after six innings, turning the game over to left-hander Anthony Banda in the seventh. Banda, recently honored by former Dodgers teammates with a World Series ring, promptly struck out Ohtani on a fastball initially called a ball before a successful catcher's challenge reversed the call.
Banda issued a hit-by-pitch to Andy Pages and yielded a single to Freddie Freeman but managed to escape further damage in the inning. The Twins applied pressure late, threatening rallies in the seventh and eighth innings. Dodgers relievers Kyle Hurt and Alex Vesia responded effectively, overcoming walks and base hits to preserve the narrow advantage.
Tanner Scott entered for the ninth inning and secured the save, marking his 11th of the season, to close out the game. With the victory, the Dodgers improved to 52-29 on the season, while the Twins fell short in front of a large, enthusiastic home crowd.