Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman began the game with consecutive home runs, an unprecedented feat in Los Angeles Dodgers' history, and the National League leaders scored twice in the ninth inning to come through with an 8-6 victory over the rival Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Tommy Edman's two-run single in the top of the ninth snapped a 6-6 tie and helped Los Angeles expand its lead over Arizona and the San Diego Padres to six games in the division standings.
Ohtani added a sacrifice fly in addition to his NL-leading 44th homer of the season, which came on Arizona starter Merrill Kelly's eighth pitch of the night. Freeman finished 3 for 5 and also knocked in two runs to lead a 16-hit attack which propelled the Dodgers to a fourth straight victory and 10th in 12 games.
Betts followed Ohtani's game-opening blast with a shot over the left field wall, and Freeman connected on Kelly's very next pitch to give Los Angeles a quick 3-0 lead and mark the first time in the franchise's 141-year history it has started a game with three consecutive home runs.
The Diamondbacks answered with four runs in the bottom of the first, however, with Corbin Carroll beginning the rally with a lead-off inside-the-park homer off Gavin Stone.
Jake McCarthy and Joc Pederson then singled before Lourdes Gurriel drove in both with a double to tie the contest. Gurriel later scored on Eugenio Suarez's sac fly for a 4–3 Diamondbacks' advantage.
The Dodgers went back ahead in the second, though. After loading the bases on singles by Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas and a fielding error by Kelly, Ohtani plated Muncy with a sac fly and Freeman got Rojas home with a single for a 5-4 edge.
Gurriel's solo homer in the third knotted the score again, but the Dodgers retook the lead when Gavin Lux doubled in the fifth and crossed the plate on Muncy's single.
Arizona pulled back even by manufacturing a run in the seventh. Luis Guillorme drew a walk before advancing to third on a sacrifice and a wild pitch by reliever Brent Honeywell, then came home on Carroll's sacrifice fly.
It remained a 6-6 game into the ninth, which Will Smith and Lux opened with singles off Ryan Thompson (7-4) before both Dodger runners were moved up a base on a bunt. Two batters later, Edman delivered a two-out single off Justin Martinez to bring home each.
Evan Phillips then retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to give Ben Casparius a win in his MLB debut after the rookie threw a scoreless eighth inning.
Phillies' Wheeler dominates Braves for 100th win
Zack Wheeler earned his 100th career win with seven superb innings as the Philadelphia Phillies extended their lead atop the NL East with a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Wheeler (13-6) yielded just four singles and struck out seven to put the Phillies in position for a sixth win in eight games. Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez finished off the shutout with an inning each as Philadelphia increased its margin over the second-place Braves to six games in the division standings.
Edmundo Sosa knocked in two runs for the Phillies on a double and a homer, a solo shot off Max Fried in the third inning that broke a scoreless tie.
Trea Turner made it 2-0 with a solo homer off Fried in the sixth. One inning later, Weston Wilson drew a walk in front of Sosa's RBI double that gave Wheeler more breathing room.
The Phillies nearly had another home run after Austin Hays drove a pitch deep to center field to start the bottom of the seventh, but Atlanta's Michael Harris climbed the wall to make a leaping catch and prevent the ball from landing in the Philadelphia bullpen.
Fried (8-8) allowed all three Philadelphia runs while permitting five hits and four walks in seven innings.
Atlanta has now lost two of the first three matchups of this key four-game set after entering the series having won nine of its previous 11 games.
Kukuchi fans 12 as Astros continue Royals' struggles
Yusei Kikuchi racked up 12 strikeouts over seven outstanding innings to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the suddenly slumping Kansas City Royals in a matchup of American League playoff contenders.
Kikuchi (7-9) allowed just one run on five hits to improve to 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in six starts since being acquired by the Astros from the Toronto Blue Jays in late July.
The left-hander duelled with Kansas City starter Cole Ragans through 5 1/2 scoreless innings before the Astros broke out with five runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Ragans was cruising along before giving up a single to Ben Gamel to begin the big inning. He then hit Jose Altuve with a pitch and walked Yordan Alvarez as Houston loaded the bases with none out.
Yainer Diaz then delivered a two-run single to break the scoreless tie, and Jeremy Pena followed with a triple to knock in two more runs for a 4-0 lead. Pena scored the Astros' final run on a wild pitch thrown by reliever Steven Cruz.
Pena finished 2 for 4 in Houston's fourth consecutive victory, which moved the Astros five games clear of second-place Seattle in the AL West after the Mariners lost to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.
The Royals finally got on the board when Freddy Fermin singled in the seventh, advanced to third on MJ Melendez's base hit and scored on Nick Loftin's fielder's choice groundout.
Bobby Witt's 29th homer of the season got Kansas City within 5-2 in the eighth, but Ryan Pressly kept the Royals scoreless in the ninth to record his third save of the season.
Kansas City has now dropped four straight following a stretch of 10 wins in 13 games.
Ragans (10-9) struck out 10 in five-plus innings but was charged with five runs despite permitting just four hits.