Ohtani hits 11th home run, Buehler solid in return as Dodgers beat Marlins for 4th straight win

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani continued his surge with his fourth home run in three games and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Miami Marlins 6-3 Monday night in Walker Buehler’s first start in nearly two years.

Ohtani became the first big leaguer to reach 11 home runs this season when he crushed an elevated fastball from Roddery Muñoz (1-1) and sent it 450 feet into center field for a two-run shot in the first inning that tied the score . score 2-all.

It marks the eighth time in Ohtani’s career that he has homered in three straight games, and the fourth time he has hit four in a three-game span.

Two pitches after Ohtani’s homer, Freddie Freeman followed with a solo shot to left-center, the first time the Dodgers have gone back-to-back this season.

James Outman and Teoscar Hernández also went deep as the Dodgers earned their fourth consecutive victory.

Nick Gordon homered as the Marlins lost for the third time in four games during their West Coast trip.

Buehler pitched four innings, allowing three runs and six hits with four strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches, including 49 strikes.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game that the right-hander’s pitch count would be somewhere between 80 and 85.

Ryan Yarbrough (3-1) followed Buehler with three innings of one-hit ball, and Alex Vesia worked the ninth for his first save.

Buehler showed some nerves early as the first two batters reached base and the Marlins scored twice in the first inning on RBI singles by Bryan De La Cruz and Jesús Sánchez. Nick Gordon’s leadoff home run in the second made it 3-all before Buehler settled down.

Gavin Lux led off the second inning with a walk before Outman homered to right-center to give the Dodgers a 5-3 lead.

Hernández’s solo shot in the third marked the second time in three games that the Dodgers hit at least four home runs.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: INF Jake Burger was activated after missing 20 games due to a left intercostal muscle strain. INF Jonah Bride was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville.

Dodgers: RHP Joe Kelly was placed on the injured list due to a right rear shoulder strain. … OF Jason Heyward (lower back tightness) took batting practice, but a decision won’t be made until at least Thursday when he could begin a rehab stint.

NEXT ONE

Miami RHP Edward Cabrera (1-1, 6.05 ERA) faces RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-1, 2.91) in the midgame of the series.

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