Shohei Ohtani hits solo home run, RBI double as Dodgers pound Giants 10-2

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani had a solo home run and an RBI double among his three hits, and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers pounded the rival San Francisco Giants 10-2 on Tuesday night.

Ohtani's 12th homer highlighted a four-run fourth inning that was capped by Gavin Lux's RBI triple. Teoscar Hernández doubled home a run and Max Muncy hit a sacrifice fly in the inning, backing Gavin Stone (4-1). Hernández later contributed a two-run triple.

Ohtani’s 446-foot drive landed above the brick facade in right-center for the longest home run at Oracle Park in nearly two years — since Christian Walker connected for a 461-foot drive against Alex Cobb on Aug. 15, 2022.

“You don’t see many guys hitting the ball (to) that part of the ballpark that far. Fortunately I played with one here,” manager Dave Roberts said of home run king Barry Bonds. “That was pretty impressive. ... That’s Barry territory.”

Ohtani thought he might reach the water of McCovey Cove like he watched Bonds do all those years.

“I thought I hit one today,” Ohtani said, “but I was disappointed it didn’t go over.”

Will Smith hit an RBI single in the fifth in the Dodgers' sixth straight victory in the series dating to last year. Los Angeles has won 14 of 17 at Oracle and 10 of 12 overall against the Giants since being swept at home from June 16-18, 2023.

Heliot Ramos hit an RBI single in the sixth for the Giants, but the Dodgers added on in the seventh when Mookie Betts tripled and scored on Ohtani's double.

Ohtani's new teammates with the Dodgers are loving his fast start at the plate.

“This is the first year where he’s really got to focus on hitting so it’ll be a lot of fun to watch,” Stone said.

Miguel Rojas added an RBI double in the ninth for the Dodgers.

Stone allowed one run and five hits over six innings to win his second consecutive start and fourth straight decision. The Dodgers extended a franchise record by allowing four runs or fewer in 21 straight games, winning 17 of them.

Giants starter Keaton Winn (3-6) allowed five runs and five hits in four-plus innings. The right-hander gave way to Randy Rodriguez with two aboard and no outs in the fifth.

Athletic trainer Dave Groeschner and manager Bob Melvin came out to the mound to check on the rookie right-hander, who lost his third straight start.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: OF Jason Heyward (back) had three at-bats for Triple-A Oklahoma City at Sacramento and got through it healthy, according to Roberts. Heyward was hoping to get to the ballpark and check in with the club. ... RHP Bobby Miller will throw two simulated innings in Arizona on Wednesday. He was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with shoulder inflammation.

Giants: An MRI exam of OF Jung Hoo Lee's dislocated left shoulder showed he has structural damage after crashing into the wall Sunday. He met with team doctors Monday night and now will seek a second opinion with Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Thursday in Los Angeles. ... LHP Blake Snell (strained left inner thigh) will pitch Friday for Triple-A Sacramento and then rejoin the Giants. ... Jorge Soler (strained right shoulder) hit live pitching and if he is fine afterward will then join Sacramento for a rehab game. ... C Patrick Bailey was placed back on the seven-day concussion list retroactive to Sunday. He came off the concussion list Saturday but was scratched the past two days with symptoms of a cold.

UP NEXT

The Dodgers will have a bullpen game as the Giants start RHP Logan Webb (3-4, 3.38 ERA) in the series finale as San Francisco concludes a 16-day stretch without a day off.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

San Francisco Giants' Thairo Estrada shatters his bat while grounding out to Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

San Francisco Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada, left, is unable to reach the throw from catcher Blake Sabol as Los Angeles Dodgers' James Outman steals second during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in San Francisco. Outman reached third on the throwing error by Sabol. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Gavin Lux hits an RBI triple against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy watches his sacrifice fly against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani smiles as he jogs to the dugout following his solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani steps into the batter's box during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches his solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against San Francisco Giants pitcher Keaton Winn, background, during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, is congratulated by Freddie Freeman after his solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

CHICAGO (AP) — Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes combined on a four-hitter, and the New York Yankees clinched their 32nd straight winning season by blanking the Chicago Cubs 2-0 on Saturday.

Schmidt pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in his first big league game since May 26. Cortes (9-10) closed it out in his first relief appearance since 2021.

Coupled with Baltimore's 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay, New York moved back into first in the AL East. The Yankees (82-60) lead the Orioles by a half-game.

Cortes admitted he was upset when he learned he was going to pitch in relief.

“I’m never going to back down from a challenge,” Cortes said. “I’m never going to leave my teammates out to dry. You’re always going to get my best effort no matter if I’m happy or not. That’s what I did today. I came out there and proved I can be put in any situation. From here on out, if that’s my role, I’ll accept it.”

Schmidt had been sidelined by a right lat strain. He threw 75 pitches, 44 for strikes.

"I felt like I still had a lot of strength and I wasn’t fatiguing at all,” Schmidt said.

New York posted its second straight shutout to secure its first series win since it took two of three against Colorado from Aug. 23-25. The 32 straight seasons with a winning record is the second-longest such period in major league history, trailing a run of 39 consecutive seasons for the Yankees from 1926-64.

Chicago (72-70) has lost four of five on a crucial homestand as it tries to rally in the race for the third NL wild card. It beat Pittsburgh 12-0 on Wednesday, but it has managed a total of three other runs in its last five games, getting shut out three times.

“We feel like we have a good enough ballclub to be in the playoffs and in the picture, but we’re going to have to play a little bit better and keep pushing here,” left fielder Ian Happ said.

Cubs right-hander Javier Assad (7-5) allowed one earned run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings.

New York scored its first run when Austin Wells drove in Gleyber Torres with a groundout in the first. The Yankees made it 2-0 in the sixth when Aaron Judge swiped third as part of a double steal and scampered home on catcher Christian Bethancourt’s throwing error.

Judge, who leads the majors with 51 homers, went 0 for 3 with a walk. He hasn’t homered in 11 games in his longest streak of the season.

The Cubs had their best scoring opportunity in the fifth. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled with one out, but was caught stealing. Patrick Wisdom then tripled to right, but he was stranded when Cortes got Bethancourt to foul out.

“He handled it really well, came into a high-leverage situation with a runner on third and got the job done,” Wells said of Cortes. “From there, cruised.”

Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo heard more cheers in his second game back at Wrigley Field since he was traded by Chicago to New York in July 2021. He tipped his cap before his first at-bat and reached second on Crow-Armstrong’s dropped catch in center.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Schmidt and RHP Ian Hamilton (right lat strain) were reinstated from the 60-day injured list before the game. RHPs Phil Bickford and Nick Burdi were designated for assignment.

Cubs: LHP Justin Steele (left elbow tendinitis) was scheduled to play catch Saturday. He went on the 15-day IL on Wednesday. ... RHP Hayden Wesneski (right forearm strain) threw an inning at Triple-A Iowa.

UP NEXT

RHP Gerrit Cole (6-3, 3.65 ERA) is slated to start for New York on Sunday on his 34th birthday. RHP Jameson Taillon (9-8, 3.66 ERA) takes the mound for Chicago in the finale of the weekend set. Taillon went 22-11 with a 4.08 ERA with the Yankees in 2021 and 2022.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt reacts in the dugout after being pulled during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton, right, celebrates with teammate Gleyber Torres (25) after Torres scored on an Austin Wells ground out during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago Cubs starter Javier Assad delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Chicago, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring on a throwing error by the catcher during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

New York Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)