Yamamoto Yoshinobu set the tone for the starting lineup, helping the Dodgers defeat the Rays on the road while Edman sprained his right ankle and may end up on the injured list.

The Dodgers concluded their longest road trip of the second half of the season on a positive note amidst hot weather and fluctuating performance. In today’s game, Yamamoto pitched 5.2 scoreless innings with 6 strikeouts, dominating the Rays, while the bullpen held firm with timely hits from Andy Pages and Freddie Freeman, along with a sacrifice fly from Mookie Betts, leading to a 3-0 victory. Following a series loss in Boston, the Dodgers secured consecutive wins on the road against Cincinnati and Tampa.

"This journey has been exceptionally challenging," Coach Dave Roberts admitted, "facing high temperatures at the end of a ten-day road trip, especially in Cincinnati and Tampa, which felt like a furnace." Betts remarked, "At this moment, we realize how precious the West Coast climate is." However, the victory was overshadowed by an injury: Tommy Edman sprained his right ankle while running the bases in the fifth inning and is expected to be placed on the injured list.

Three key points from the series finale

Ace continues to shine

26-year-old right-hander Yamamoto Yoshinobu maintained his hot streak, posting a 1.93 ERA over his last seven starts (37.1 innings) with 44 strikeouts and only 9 walks. In this game, he also faced low run support pressure (the team averages just 4.1 runs per game, tied for the lowest with Glasnow). "Low scoring support won’t change my pitching strategy," Yamamoto stated through translator Yoshihiro Sonoda, "but when the score is tight, we need to execute more precisely." To cope with the heat in Tampa, he revealed, "I changed jerseys multiple times during the game, thanks to the support from translator Hiroshi."

Signs of a batting resurgence

After experiencing an 18.0-inning scoring drought from the sixth inning on Friday to the fifth inning on Sunday, the Dodgers broke the ice in the sixth inning with a timely hit from Pages to left field. In the seventh, Shohei Ohtani and Betts executed a double steal to get into scoring position, allowing Freeman to extend the lead. In the ninth, Betts added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to center field. "While hitting ten home runs in a game is certainly ideal, victories achieved through strategies like this are more valuable," Freeman pointed out.

Injury woes strike again

Since returning from right ankle inflammation on May 18, Edman has struggled at the plate (with an OPS of only 0.596), and he has aggravated his injury twice while running the bases. If he goes on the injured list, his spot will be filled by Max Muncy (who has a left knee bone bruise), giving third-round rookie Alex Freeland (ranked 35th on the MLB rookie list) more opportunities in the majors. "It’s frustrating, but we have to face it," Edman said, "the instability in my ankle severely affects my performance."