WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer to support Eric Lauer in his usual return to the starting rotation as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Athletics 9-4 on Monday night.
Max Muncy and Andy Pages also scored and joined Ohtani in the group of eight Dodgers with two hits each. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts picked up his 999th career win.
Lauer (4-5) allowed three runs and nine hits in six innings, seven days after pitching six hitless innings with a massive release to beat Minnesota. The left-hander struck out two hits and walked one in his sixth appearance for the Dodgers and fifth start since they acquired him from Toronto for cash on May 17.
Kyle Hurt put all three hitters he faced in the seventh on strikeouts. Jonathan Hernandez retired four batters and Jack Dreyer got the final two outs in the ninth.
Colby Thomas scored for the A’s, who have lost seven of nine.
The game was played in front of a sold-out crowd at the A’s temporary home at Sutter Health Park. Most fans wore blue and white and repeatedly cheered loudly for the MLB-leading Dodgers, 55-30.
Ohtani’s 18th home run of the season off reliever Matt Crook in the sixth landed on the grass mound behind the bullpen and drew the loudest cheers.
Muncy hit his 17th home run off Gage Jump A’s leadoff hit in the fourth. Miguel Rojas followed with a double before Pages hit his 16th homer three batters later to make it 5-3.
In the second, the A’s led 3–2 after Thomas’ home run and three consecutive singles, including Joshua Kuroda-Grauer’s first career hit. Kuroda-Grauer later singled and doubled and finished with three hits.
Leap (3-2) allowed five runs and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Next
Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (9-2, 2.71 ERA) faces LHP Jeffrey Springs (3-7, 5.52) on Tuesday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Michael Wagaman, Associated Press