Dodgers edge Royals 5-4 on June 28, 2025, as Shohei Ohtani deals a quality start and Will Smith stays red-hot. Recap the Dodgers' 6th straight road win.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Another city, another win. The Los Angeles Dodgers kept their road warrior mentality alive on Saturday, battling to a tight 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. The win, their sixth straight away from home, was a classic team effort, with Shohei Ohtani delivering a strong performance on the mound and catcher Will Smith continuing his unbelievable hot streak at the plate.
Will Smith has been simply unstoppable, posting a .471 batting average, a .625 on-base percentage, and a .706 slugging percentage over the past week.
When the bats are firing, all you need is a steady hand on the mound, and Shohei Ohtani provided exactly that. Taking the ball in Kansas City, Ohtani delivered a crucial quality start, keeping the Royals' offense in check and giving his lineup the breathing room it needed to secure the one-run win. His performance was a testament to his role as the rotation's anchor, consistently setting the tone as the Dodgers navigate the grueling summer months.
It's hard to argue that anyone is seeing the ball better than Will Smith right now. The Dodgers' backstop was a force once again, reaching base multiple times and proving to be a nightmare for Royals pitchers. His numbers over the last seven days are simply staggering: a .471 average, a .625 OBP, and a .706 SLG. Smith isn't just having a good week; he's carrying the offense and cementing his status as one of the elite catchers in the game.
While Smith and Ohtani grabbed the headlines Saturday, the series victory was powered by the entire lineup. Mookie Betts was a constant threat, contributing a home run and 6 RBIs throughout the series. Not to be outdone, Teoscar Hernandez provided his signature power surge, launching 2 homers and driving in a massive 8 runs against the Royals. This kind of top-to-bottom production is what makes the Dodgers so dangerous and is the key reason they now sit at 52-31.
With their 52nd win in the books and their NL West lead secure, the Dodgers are firing on all cylinders. The combination of dominant starting pitching and a relentless, deep lineup has them looking like the team to beat. As they close out the series in Kansas City and look ahead, the question isn't just if they can win, but how many different ways they can do it.
