Ohtani, Betts and Freeman open with consecutive HRs, and Dodgers beat Diamondbacks 8-6

PHOENIX (AP) — Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman started the game with consecutive home runs, the first time that has happened in the Dodgers’ 141-year history, and Tommy Edman hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to give Los Angeles an 8-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.

Corbin Carroll hit an inside-the-park leadoff home run for Arizona.

Ohtani hit his 44th of the season — a 420-foot shot to dead center off of Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly. Betts followed with his 14th and Freeman on the very next pitch hit his 19th of the season 437 feet to right-center. It was the first time the three superstars had homered consecutively.

“We got good players,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Ben Casparius (1-0), in his major league debut, pitched a scoreless eighth for the NL West-leading Dodgers' fourth straight victory. Evan Phillips retired the side in order in the ninth for his 18th save.

Ohtani added a sacrifice fly in the second and Freeman drove in another run with a single. Both runs were unearned because of Kelly’s error while attempting to get a force at third on Kevin Kiermaier’s bunt.

Kelly went 5 1/3 innings, giving up 10 hits and six runs, four earned.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered and drove in three runs for the Diamondbacks.

Carroll's inside-the-park homer to straightaway center in the first inning — a franchise first — was his fifth in five games. Center fielder Kiermaier leaped at the wall, but the ball bounced back toward the infield and Carroll scored standing up.

Carroll tied a Diamondbacks record by reaching base in his 39th straight start. The record was set by Jay Bell in the franchise’s first season, 1998.

Will Smith and Gavin Lux singled off Ryan Thompson (7-4) to start the ninth. Kiké Hernández sacrificed the runners to second and third and Edman looped a hit into shallow right field against Justin Martinez to score pinch runner Chris Taylor and Lux.

“That guy’s nasty, I was just trying to stay short and put it in play," said Edman, who just returned from an injury after being acquired from St. Louis in July. "Fortunately I was able to hit it into the perfect spot.

“First big hit I’ve had with this team. Good to be a big part of that win tonight.”

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo wasn't surprised that his team rallied right away after the Dodgers' opening salvo. Arizona scored four in the bottom of the first but the Diamondbacks were held without a hit after Gurriel's homer in the third.

“There was a lot of excitement in this building,” Lovullo said. “It was a good game. We fought as hard as we could, we just came up a little short.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

The Dodgers placed LHP Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day injured list. Reliever Joe Kelly also went on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. To replace them, the Dodgers recalled right-handers Brent Honeywell and Ben Casparius from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Another injured starter, Tyler Glasnow, expressed optimism before the game about returning to the Dodgers rotation before the end of the season.

NEXT

The Dodgers start LHP Justin Wrobleski (1-1, 4.68 ERA) against Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (8-7, 4.31) Sunday in the third of the four-game series.

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Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Evan Phillips (59) slaps hands with catcher Austin Barnes, left, after the final out of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, of Japan, pauses after being called out on strikes against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Evan Phillips celebrates after the final out of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (12) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers as Diamondbacks third base coach Tony Perezchica, right, looks on during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Gavin Lux (9) celebrates his run scored against against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17), of Japan, during the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Tommy Edman, left, is tagged out in a rundown between second and third base by Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Luis Guillorme during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Tommy Edman, left, smiles as he celebrates his two-run single against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough (86) during the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches the flight his home run as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Adrian Del Castillo, left, looks on during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman (5) celebrates his home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks with teammates, including Mookie Betts, right, and Shohei Ohtani, second from right, during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tropical Storm Ileana made landfall on the coast of the Mexican state of Sinaloa Saturday a day after it pounded the resort-studded Los Cabos.

The tropical storm formed Thursday off Mexico's Pacific coast and was packing winds of of 40 mph (65 kph) as it moved ashore Saturday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. It made landfall near the coastal city of Topolobampo and was moving north at 6 mph (9 kph).

Forecasters say Ileana will churn over the coastal region of northern Sinaloa during the next several hours, weakening into a tropical depression, and then move over the Gulf of California roughly parallel to the coast on Sunday.

On Friday, a warning had been in effect for portions of the Baja California Peninsula, including Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

Juan Manuel Arce Ortega, from Los Cabos Civil Protection, said the municipalities of La Paz and Los Cabos had suspended classes in schools due to the storm.

Authorities prepared 20 temporary shelters in San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, according to Los Cabos Civil Protection.

At the Hacienda Beach Club and Residences in Cabo San Lucas, valet worker Alan Galvan said the rain arrived late Thursday night and has been constant. “The rain isn’t very strong right now, but the waves are choppy,” he said.

“The guests are very calm and already came down for coffee,” Galvan said. “There’s some flights canceled but everything is ok at the moment.”

The rain remained consistent through Los Cabos Friday afternoon, with several roads flooded and some resorts stacking up sandbags on their perimeters. Some people were still walking around boat docks with their umbrellas.

“The priority has to be safety, starting with the workers. We always have to check on our colleagues who live in risk areas,” said Lyzzette Liceaga, a tour operator at Los Cabos.

Ileana was the only active tropical storm in the National Weather Service’s Eastern Pacific basin on Friday. In the Atlantic basin, post-tropical cyclone Francine was bringing heavy rain to parts of the southern United States, and Tropical Storm Gordon formed on Friday in the Atlantic Ocean, with forecasters saying it is expected to remain over open water for several days.

This satellite image provided by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Ileana, left, near the coastal Mexican city of Topolobampo on the eastern side of the Gulf of California, on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, at 6:10 p.m. EDT. (NOAA via AP)