Shohei Ohtani and Gavin Stone help the Dodgers shut down the White Sox 4-0
AP Baseball Writer
CHICAGO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit another leadoff homer and Gavin Stone pitched a four-hitter, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox 4-0 on Wednesday night for their fourth consecutive win.
Ohtani drove a full-count cut fastball from Erick Fedde deep to right-center for his NL-leading 25th homer. The 437-foot drive had a 113.9 mph exit velocity.
Ohtani’s third leadoff homer this season extended his RBI streak to a franchise-record 10 games. The two-time AL MVP also hit a leadoff drive in Los Angeles’ 4-3 victory on Tuesday night.
“There’s been a lot of opportunities with runners on base,” Ohtani said through a translator. “All I’m trying to do is have a quality at-bat. So I think that (RBI streak) is the result of that.”
Stone (9-2) struck out seven and walked none in his first career complete game, providing a big lift for the NL West leaders after their bullpen accounted for 11 scoreless innings over the first two games of the sweep. The right-hander improved to 8-1 with a 2.03 ERA in his last 11 starts.
“Just in complete control. Just a dominant performance,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
It was the first complete game for Los Angeles since Walker Buehler pitched a three-hitter in a 4-0 victory at Arizona on April 25, 2022.
“Just tried to focus on just getting guys out and not even worrying about going deep in the game,” Stone said.
Playing in front of its first sellout of the year on Mexican Heritage Night, Chicago was shut out for the 12th time this season. It went 1 for 21 with runners in scoring position while totaling three runs and 17 hits in the three-game series.
The White Sox have dropped seven of eight overall to fall a whopping 40 games under .500 at 21-61.
Fedde (5-3) allowed four runs and five hits in six innings. He dropped to 4-1 with a 1.64 ERA in seven home starts this season.
Chicago finished the game without right fielder Gavin Sheets, who jammed his left heel and departed before the Dodgers batted in the sixth. X-rays were negative, and the team said Sheets is day to day.
White Sox manager Pedro Grifol was ejected by home plate umpire Derek Thomas in the sixth.
“I wasn’t particularly too happy with balls and strikes, especially early on our side with Fedde,” Grifol said.
The Dodgers grabbed control with three runs in the third. Teoscar Hernández hit a sacrifice fly, and Ohtani walked and scored from first on Freddie Freeman’s two-run double.
“For the most part, I did good after the third inning,” Fedde said. “The one pitch I want back is the one to Freeman, the double.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: RHP Mike Clevinger has been returned from his minor league rehab assignment because of neck stiffness. He was placed on the 15-day injured list last month with right elbow inflammation. A team spokesman said Clevinger will look to restart his rehab assignment next week. When Clevinger is healthy again, Grifol said the team could go to a six-man rotation to help provide more rest for some of its young starting pitchers. “We have to be careful with our guys,” Grifol said.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: Following an off day, RHP Landon Knack (1-1, 2.10 ERA) starts Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at San Francisco.
White Sox: It looks as if Chicago will go with a bullpen day when it hosts Atlanta on Thursday for a makeup of an April 3 rainout. LHP Chris Sale (10-2, 2.91 ERA) starts for the Braves against his first major league team.
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