The Dodgers fell 4-0 to the Royals on June 28 despite Freddie Freeman's perfect night. A 3-run homer off Shohei Ohtani sealed the loss. Read why LA went 0-for-6 with RISP.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a night of frustration in Kansas City for the Boys in Blue. Despite a flawless performance from Freddie Freeman at the plate, the rest of the Dodgers' lineup went missing in a 4-0 shutout loss to the Royals. A single rough inning from starter Shohei Ohtani was all Kansas City needed to secure the win, leaving Los Angeles to wonder where the offense went.
The Dodgers finished the night 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, a statistic that tells the entire story of the game.
Making his first start since a minor finger issue, Shohei Ohtani looked solid through four innings. But the wheels came off in the fifth. A couple of singles set the table for Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who launched a three-run homer that broke the game open. Ohtani was tagged for four runs in the inning, finishing his night after five frames with an ERA that climbed to 4.50. It was a deflating inning that the Dodgers' offense simply couldn't overcome.
While the rest of the team struggled to solve Royals starter Seth Lugo, Freddie Freeman was in a league of his own. The Dodgers' first baseman went a perfect 3-for-3 and drew a walk, looking completely locked in. He was a one-man wrecking crew, but unfortunately, he was stranded every time. Outside of Freeman's three hits, the entire Dodger lineup managed just two other singles, as Lugo cruised through seven dominant, shutout innings with seven strikeouts.
If there's a silver lining, it's that the bullpen did its job. After Ohtani's exit, relievers Michael Grove and Alex Vesia combined for three perfect innings of relief, keeping the Royals off the board and giving the offense a chance to climb back. The performance is a good sign for a relief corps that has been tested this season, but it was ultimately too little, too late on a night when the bats were silent.
The bullpen's solid outing is crucial, as significant reinforcements aren't arriving anytime soon. The team is still feeling the loss of closer Evan Phillips, who is out for the season after Tommy John surgery. While Brusdar Graterol is making progress from his shoulder issue and targeting an August rehab assignment, other key arms like Kyle Hurt and River Ryan are also on the long road back from their own surgeries. For now, the Dodgers will have to rely on the arms they have to get the job done.
It's a frustrating loss, but it's just one game in a 162-game marathon. The Dodgers (now 52-32) have shown they can bounce back from these offensive duds before. They'll need to find a way to support their starters and cash in on opportunities tomorrow to salvage the series in Kansas City. The talent is there, but tonight was a stark reminder that even the best lineups can be silenced.
