It proved to be a memorable occasion for the two-way star, and a triumphant one for the San Diego ballclub.
Securing a 5-1 victory over the San Francisco nine, the Padres drew even with the Los Angeles squad for the division lead, having previously trailed by a significant margin of 8.5 games on July 2. This marks the first instance since May 10 that the San Diego team has shared the top spot.
Per MLB.com’s A.J. Cassavell, it also represents the latest point in the season since Sept. 25, 2010, that the Padres have co-occupied first place. Both squads currently possess a record of 68-52.
The Padres overcame the Giants fueled by home runs courtesy of Jose Iglesias and Jackson Merrill, coupled with an impressive outing from trade deadline addition Nestor Cortes and their collection of All-Star relievers. Following a two-run sequence in the second inning, they maintained a lead for the duration of the contest.
It has been a significant period since the Padres last occupied first place this late in the campaign. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
(Kavin Mistry via Getty Images)
A separate, eventful game unfolded in Anaheim, where the Dodgers suffered a defeat in 10 innings against Ohtani’s previous employer. With the score level at 5-5 in the sixth inning, Ohtani hit sharply into a rare defensive play, negating a potential scoring opportunity. The batted ball was ideally positioned for Angels’ shortstop Zach Neto, who made the catch, stepped on second base, and then fired to first base to complete the play.
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This marked the eighth such occurrence in the Angels’ franchise history. Ohtani’s reaction was one of visible disbelief as the Angels exited the field, while Rushing appeared to be experiencing some discomfort following an awkward movement, although he remained in the game.
According to Statcast data, the ball left Ohtani’s bat at 86.8 mph and carried a .480 xBA (indicating a 48% probability of becoming a hit based on its exit velocity and launch angle). Hypothetically, batted balls with similar characteristics to Ohtani’s result in a hit approximately 50% of the time, which would have likely resulted in a run for the Dodgers.
Instead, Neto, recognized for his defensive abilities at shortstop, executed one of the most impressive plays of his career.
Ohtani would later find redemption in the ninth inning, however, delivering a go-ahead home run against his former team, his 43rd of the season.
Unfortunately, this would mark the end of positive developments for the Dodgers. New closer Alex Vesia allowed the Angels to equalize the score in the bottom of the ninth and was required to navigate a bases-loaded situation merely to extend the game to extra innings, which ultimately did not favor the Dodgers. They failed to capitalize on the ghost runner in the top of the 10th, and Jo Adell subsequently sealed their fate in the bottom of the inning.
The day was already noteworthy for Ohtani, as news surfaced in the morning regarding a lawsuit filed against him and his agent, Nez Balelo, pertaining to a Hawaiian real estate transaction that encountered complications, allegedly stemming from disagreements between Balelo and the project’s developers after Ohtani entered into an endorsement agreement in 2023.
Mirroring the Seattle team’s achievement of drawing level with the Houston squad on Tuesday, the division race has now transformed into a head-to-head contest between two contenders, one a division mainstay with multiple championships and the other an emerging team striving to achieve a breakthrough after many years.
With 42 games remaining on their respective schedules, the Padres possess the advantage of momentum, but the Dodgers are still favored to ultimately triumph, with projections indicating they are -325 favorites to win the division as of Tuesday night.
This landscape could rapidly evolve, particularly with the Dodgers scheduled to host a three-game series against the Padres during the upcoming weekend.
