The Dodgers came out swinging on Tuesday evening, hitting five home runs, four in one inning and throttling the defending World Series champions, the Texas Rangers. 

L.A.’s first baseman Will Smith started the slaughter with a three-run shot in the bottom of the first, giving the Dodgers an early 3-0 lead and they never looked back. 

The Dodgers would add on another four runs in the fourth and fifth innings with an RBI triple from shortstop Mookie Betts and an RBI single from second baseman Gavin Lux. 

Apparently a 7-1 lead wasn’t enough for the boys in blue as they decided to put the nail in the coffin during the sixth inning with their very own makeshift home run derby. 

Betts drew the walk from Rangers right-handed reliever Grant Anderson and reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani made him pay immediately with a 433-foot two-run shot to right center field. 

Freddie Freeman kept it going with another homer on the very next at-bat, giving him his ninth of the season. Dodgers leading home run hitter Teoscar Hernandez launched his 17th home run of the year and Jason Heyward finished off the electric inning with one last homer, giving them a 14-1 lead. 

Dodgers RHP James Paxton added to his win column after only allowing two hits and one earned run through six innings as L.A. won 15-2. 

The headline heading into game two on Wednesday night was former Dodger Corey Seager and his return to Dodger Stadium after signing with the Rangers in December 2021. Seager was a part of L.A.’s World Series run back in 2020 and was named World Series MVP. 

The stadium was filled with applause as Seager’s name was announced but Dodgers fans would soon be reminded of how deadly he can be at the plate. 

Ohtani blasted his 17th homer in the bottom of the first, tying Teoscar Hernandez for most home runs by a Dodger this season giving them a 1-0 lead. 

Seager ended the three-inning dry spell for both teams as he took Walker Buehler deep on a 422-foot missile, giving the Rangers a 3-1 lead. 

After Smith singled and Pages was walked the Dodgers had life in the bottom of the ninth with Heyward coming up to the plate. 

Heyward doubled to center field, allowing Smith to score, but Pages ran through a stop sign from the Dodgers’ third base coach and he was thrown out at home, stopping their last-second comeback in its tracks. 

This loss gives Buehler his fourth loss of the season and only one win to go along with it, as the Dodgers fall to 42-27 with a five-game lead over the second-place San Diego Padres in the NL West. 

L.A. looks to win the best-of-three series on Thursday night at 7:10 p.m. Every Dodger game can be listened to on KHTS Radio on FM 98.1 and AM 1220. 

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