<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/tony-gonsolin-intriguing-injury-rehab-update-drops-amid-freddie-freeman-dodgers-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Tony Gonsolin’s intriguing injury rehab update drops amid Freddie Freeman Dodgers injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-news-Tony-Gonsolins-intriguing-rehab-update-drops-amid-Freddie-Freeman-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Tony Gonsolin’s intriguing injury rehab update drops amid Freddie Freeman Dodgers injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T19:34:26-07:00">April 3rd, 7:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T19:34:26-07:00">April 3rd, 7:34pm</time><address><a>Lorenzo J Reyna</a>Lorenzo J Reyna has joined ClutchPoints as Associate Editor of NFL &amp; NCAA Football. He's equipped with past experience for both realms through his recent stops at Pro Football Network and Heavy while also writing for 247Sports. His Twitter/X handle is @LJ_Reyna and his Instagram is @lj_zo_rey.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers have the health of Freddie Freeman to worry about. But the franchise and Dave Roberts received welcoming news involving Tony Gonsolin Thursday.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-la-places-freddie-freeman-injured-list-undefeated-start-season">Freeman found himself going on injured reserve</a>. The World Series champs placed him there on March 31 over a “shower mishap.” Freeman injured his ankle in the accident.</p><p>But Gonsolin gave the Dodgers an encouraging update. He’s currently pitching for the Oklahoma City Comets as he makes his comeback from Tommy John surgery. Howard Cole of Forbes unveiled how Gonsolin’s evening went.</p><p>“Gonsolin exits after 35 pitches and 1 2/3 and two base runners (both walks) his responsibility. One strikeout, one hit, a double. Highest velo I saw 93.4,” Cole <a href="https://x.com/Howard_Cole/status/1907955207088312374" rel="noopener">shared on X</a>.</p><p>That performance increases Gonsolin’s chances of returning to the Dodgers. Especially if it means filling for the spot Freeman opens by going on IL.</p><h2><b>How long as Tony Gonsolin been away from Dodgers? </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Tony-Gonsolin-Dodgers.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Thursday represented the start of Gonsolin’s rehab assignment. But how long has the 30-year-old been away?</p><p>Gonsolin is closing on two years since the last time he took to the mound. His elbow surgery wiped away his 2024 season. He watched fellow pitchers Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow and the deep Dodgers rotation secure the ’24 World Series title. Gonsolin was never activated for the postseason.</p><p>The right-handed pitcher from Vacaville still signed a $5.4 million contract with the Dodgers. All to avoid salary arbitration. Then he endured another setback: Injuring his back during a weight room session while in spring training.</p><p>Gonsolin started 20 games for the 2023 Dodgers. He finished with an 8-5 overall mark. Gonsolin delivered a 4.98 ERA and surrendered 86 hits with 61 runs.</p><p>The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder delivered a stellar 2022 — which became his All-Star season. Gonsolin went 16-1 on the hill. He struck out 119 batters and surrendered only 32 runs. Gonsolin also allowed 79 hits.</p><p>His Dodgers will soon start their first road series of the 2025 season against the Philadelphia Phillies. Los Angeles is carrying an 8-0 start in tow.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Tony Gonsolin’s intriguing injury rehab update drops amid Freddie Freeman Dodgers injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-la-places-freddie-freeman-injured-list-undefeated-start-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers place Freddie Freeman on injured list amid undefeated start to season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-first-baseman-Freddie-Freeman-5-hits-a-double.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dodgers place Freddie Freeman on injured list amid undefeated start to season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T17:46:27-07:00">April 3rd, 5:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T19:48:10-07:00">April 3rd, 7:48pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The undefeated Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a big injury blow to the infield with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-freddie-freeman-re-injured-right-ankle-in-shower-mishap">temporary loss of first baseman Freddie Freeman</a>.</p><p>Freeman suffered an ankle sprain before the Dodgers’ game against the Atlanta Braves due to a shower mishap. He is <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1907953234842628182" rel="noopener">now on the injured list</a> for 10 days, per Bob Nightengale. His time on the list began on March 31.</p><p>It wasn’t the first time he hurt his ankle. Last season, he sprained his right ankle in late-September as he showed initial rust in the postseason. Despite this, he bounced back as he helped the Dodgers win the World Series.</p><p>Freeman is 3-for-12 this season with a pair of home runs and 4 RBIs.</p><h2><b>What’s next for Dodgers after Freddie Freeman news</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-designated-hitter-Shohei-Ohtani.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Losing Freddie Freeman for two weeks at most will have the Dodgers consider their options at first base.</p><p>Enrique Hernandez would command the starting spot until Freeman returns. He went up to bat 19 times so far, getting two hits for two home runs and 4 RBIs.</p><p>Los Angeles boasts a perfect 8-0 record on the season, holding the top spot in both the NL West Division and the conference. This includes a 6-0 start at home while being 2-0 on the road.</p><p>The Dodgers have been successful to start their quest in repeating as World Series champions. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-reveals-why-he-thrives-under-pressure">Shohei Ohtani has been instrumental</a> in their red-hot start, leading the team in hits with 10 as he got a walk-off home run on April 2 against the Braves.</p><p>While Freddie Freeman recovers from the ankle sprain, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/dodgers-vs-phillies-prediction-odds-pick-4-4-2025">Dodgers will prepare for their next head-to-head series</a>. They face the Philadelphia Phillies on April 4 at 6:45 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers place Freddie Freeman on injured list amid undefeated start to season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-admits-1-undeniable-fact-thrilling-braves-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Dave Roberts admits 1 undeniable fact about thrilling Braves win');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dave-Roberts.jpg"><figcaption>© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Dave Roberts admits 1 undeniable fact about thrilling Braves win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T08:22:45-07:00">April 3rd, 8:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T08:22:45-07:00">April 3rd, 8:22am</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers improved to 8-0 on Wednesday as they completed the series sweep against the Atlanta Braves. It looked like the Braves were going to hand the Dodgers their first loss of the season early in the game as they took a 5-0 lead, but Los Angeles clawed back into the game. It ended up being a 5-5 ballgame in the bottom of the ninth inning with who else but Shohei Ohtani up at the plate. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-reveals-why-he-thrives-under-pressure">Ohtani delivered in the clutch</a> once again as he hit a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/reactions-erupt-after-shohei-ohtani-walk-off-home-run-completes-dodgers-comeback">walk-off home run to lift the Dodgers past the Braves</a>.</p><p>After going down 5-0, it looked like the Dodgers had no shot at getting a win against the Braves. However, the team never quit, and even on a night when they probably should’ve lost, they found a way to win. That’s what great teams do, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-fires-unbeatable-take-shohei-ohtanis-walk-off-hr">manager Dave Roberts</a> <a href="https://x.com/jonmorosi/status/1907640321288376689" rel="noopener">will take it</a>.</p><p>“Dave Roberts said, following the Dodgers’ sloppy start, they had ‘no business winning that game,'” Jon Morosi said in a post.</p><p>The Dodgers started the season with two wins in Japan against the Chicago Cubs, and they have followed that up with two straight sweeps. Los Angeles took three games from the Detroit Tigers in their first home series, and then they finished off the sweep of the Braves on Wednesday night.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-la-break-1933-yankees-record-with-8-0-start">Los Angeles is off to a historic start</a> this season, and they could end up being one of the best MLB teams of all time. They have the talent to be just that as people often refer to the Dodgers as an All-Star team because of all the elite players that they have on the roster. There is a long season ahead of them, but the Dodgers are off to a great start.</p><p>Next up for the Dodgers is their first true road series of the season as they will travel to take on the Philadelphia Phillies. The season is 162 games long, so the Dodgers are going to lose eventually. It’s going to be a fun ride seeing how long they can stay undefeated, though.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Dave Roberts admits 1 undeniable fact about thrilling Braves win

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-reveals-why-he-thrives-under-pressure');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani reveals why he thrives under pressure');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-news-Shohei-Ohtani-reveals-why-he-thrives-under-pressure.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani reveals why he thrives under pressure</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T21:50:36-07:00">April 2nd, 9:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T21:50:36-07:00">April 2nd, 9:50pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers were down 5-0 on Wednesday night against the Atlanta Braves, but they somehow found a way to get the win. Shohei Ohtani <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1907635277809496344" rel="noopener">was the hero</a> as he hit a walk-off home run to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-la-break-1933-yankees-record-with-8-0-start">improve the Dodgers’ record to 8-0</a>. Los Angeles is off to a ridiculously impressive start as they have two wins against the Chicago Cubs in Japan, and they have also swept the Braves and Detroit Tigers. The season is young, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-fires-unbeatable-take-shohei-ohtanis-walk-off-hr">Ohtani and the Dodgers are off to an impressive start</a>.</p><p>Shohei Ohtani is one of the best players that the game of baseball has ever seen, and moments like Wednesday night are a big reason why. When the lights are brightest, Ohtani is <a href="https://x.com/MLBNetwork/status/1907641170487902405" rel="noopener">at his best</a>.</p><p>“It’s actually an honor to feel the pressure because that means there are a lot of expectations,” Ohtani said in his postgame interview. “I just change that to something that’s more of a positive.”</p><p>After the game, Ohtani shared his thought process during his final at-bat. He wasn’t thinking about winning the game, but rather thinking about how to set his teammates up for success later in the inning.</p><p>“I was really looking for a good pitch to hit, but also making sure Mookie [Betts] gets an at-bat,” Ohtani added.</p><p>The magical walk-off moment came on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-bobblehead-giveaway-draws-insane-line-hours-first-pitch">Shohei Ohtani bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium</a>. Thousands of fans lined up early to get their souvenir, and Ohtani more than delivered in terms of making the game worth it.</p><p>“I just wanted to live up to the expectations of all the fans today and make sure that I perform,” the three-time MVP said.</p><p>The Dodgers are going to lose eventually, but it’s going to be fun to see how long they can stay undefeated. Things will get a little more challenging in their next series as Los Angeles will play a true road series for the first time this season against the Philadelphia Phillies. Can the Dodgers pull off another sweep, or will the Phillies end their perfect season?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani reveals why he thrives under pressure

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-fires-unbeatable-take-shohei-ohtanis-walk-off-hr');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Dave Roberts fires ‘unbeatable’ take after Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off HR');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dave-Roberts-fires-unbeatable-take-after-Shohei-Ohtanis-walkoff-HR.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Dave Roberts fires ‘unbeatable’ take after Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off HR</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T21:20:20-07:00">April 2nd, 9:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T21:20:20-07:00">April 2nd, 9:20pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Are the Los Angeles Dodgers ever going to a baseball game? It looked like the Atlanta Braves might be able to hand the defending champs their first loss of the season on Wednesday night, but a <a href="https://x.com/BenVerlander/status/1907635167289815195" rel="noopener">walk-off home run</a> from <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/reactions-erupt-after-shohei-ohtani-walk-off-home-run-completes-dodgers-comeback">Shohei Ohtani kept the undefeated record alive</a> for the Dodgers. Los Angeles is eight games into its season, and they are still perfect. They beat the Chicago Cubs twice in Japan, and they have since swept the Braves and the Detroit Tigers.</p><p>The Dodgers are the betting favorite to win the World Series for a reason. They won it all last year, and they got even better during the offseason as they continue to spend loads of money perfecting their roster. The result is an 8-0 start to the season, and manager Dave Roberts is <a href="https://x.com/DodgerBlue1958/status/1907639852528787788" rel="noopener">feeling confident</a>.</p><p>“I feel like we’re going to win… I think each night we are unbeatable,” Dave Roberts said, according to a post from Dodger Blue.</p><p>So far, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-set-franchise-history-7th-straight-win">unbeatable is a good way to describe this Dodgers team</a>. The Dodgers aren’t winning in blowout fashion every night, but they just find a way to win. There were a couple of tight games against the Tigers, but LA got it done. Against the Braves on Wednesday night, the Dodgers were down 5-0. It looked like there was no way that the undefeated record was going to hold, but they prevailed.</p><p>The MLB season is 162 games long, so the Dodgers are going to lose at some point. There is, however, a very real chance that this team flirts with the best record in MLB history. The current win record is 116, so the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-la-break-1933-yankees-record-with-8-0-start">Dodgers just need 108 more</a>. They are off to a good start.</p><p>The Dodgers have a long way to go in terms of winning another World Series, but they have certainly looked as advertised so far. This is the most talented team in baseball, but it all comes down to who is playing their best when the playoffs roll around. There is a long season ahead, but it’s hard to imagine this team slowing down at any point this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Dave Roberts fires ‘unbeatable’ take after Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off HR

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-la-break-1933-yankees-record-with-8-0-start');   ga('set', 'title', 'Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers break 1933 Yankees record with 8-0 start');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Shohei-Ohtani-LA-break-1933-Yankees-record-with-8-0-start.jpg"></figure><h1>Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers break 1933 Yankees record with 8-0 start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T21:00:47-07:00">April 2nd, 9:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T21:03:13-07:00">April 2nd, 9:03pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Heading into Game 8 of the 2025 MLB season, it looked like the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-set-franchise-history-7th-straight-win">Los Angeles Dodgers might see their win streak snapped</a> before they placed themselves solo in the annals of baseball history.</p><p>Riding a seven-game win streak with victories over three teams expected to be competing for the playoffs this fall, the Dodgers were down 5-3 heading into the eighth with no guarantee they’d be sending their fans home happy.</p><p>But then, magic started to happen.</p><p>Michael Conforto got on base. Will Smith got on base, too. And <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/max-muncy-debuts-new-torpedo-bat-before-dodgers-vs-braves-contest">Max Muncy, returning to his normal bat</a> instead of his attempted transition to the torpedo, smashed it into the outfield for a game-tying double.</p><p>After Jack Dreyer worked his way through the ninth unscathed and set things up for Shohei Ohtani to smash one for the walkoff home run <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-bobblehead-giveaway-draws-insane-line-hours-first-pitch">on his bobblehead night</a>, closing out the game 6-5 and giving the Dodgers their best start to the season since the 1950s.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">SHOHEI OHTANI WALKS IT OFF FOR THE DODGERS ON HIS BOBBLEHEAD NIGHT 🔥 </p><p>The defending champs start the season 8-0!<a href="https://t.co/nONRXi8p1y">pic.twitter.com/nONRXi8p1y</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1907637739681407264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Impressive? You bet, but when viewed in the context of MLB history, it’s all the more so, as their 8-0 start now marks the best start to a season by any reigning World Series Champion <a href="https://x.com/Matthew__Moreno/status/1907636824044126537" rel="noopener">in baseball history</a>, passing Babe Ruth and the 1933 Yankees with Ohtani’s bomb.</p><p>Taking the field for the second-straight game without Freddie Freeman, this was the first game that truly felt like a potential loss all season, with the Dodgers needing all hands on deck to manufacture enough runs to get where they want to be. And yet, in the end, they got it done, with “Shotime” in full swing just outside of Hollywood and the Dodgers getting a day off to fly to Philadelphia for their first road series stateside of the season against the Phillies.</p><p>Will the Dodgers be able to keep this run going and attack the all-time win streak to start the season, which <a href="https://fansided.com/the-longest-winning-streak-start-mlb-season-dodgers-staring-down-history" rel="noopener">sits at 13</a> and has been accomplished three times? Only time will tell, but considering how many different ways the Dodgers can beat opposing teams and the prospects of Freeman returning hanging just over the horizon, it’s really hard to bet against the reigning champions in any way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers break 1933 Yankees record with 8-0 start

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/reactions-erupt-after-shohei-ohtani-walk-off-home-run-completes-dodgers-comeback');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reactions erupt after Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off home run completes Dodgers comeback');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-news-Reactions-erupt-after-Shohei-Ohtani-walk-off-home-run-completes-comeback.jpg"></figure><h1>Reactions erupt after Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off home run completes Dodgers comeback</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T20:57:56-07:00">April 2nd, 8:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T20:59:13-07:00">April 2nd, 8:59pm</time><address><a>Lorenzo J Reyna</a>Lorenzo J Reyna has joined ClutchPoints as Associate Editor of NFL &amp; NCAA Football. He's equipped with past experience for both realms through his recent stops at Pro Football Network and Heavy while also writing for 247Sports. His Twitter/X handle is @LJ_Reyna and his Instagram is @lj_zo_rey.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers appeared to be on the brink of losing their first game since Oct. 29, 2024. The Atlanta Braves had the World Series champs against the ropes with a 5-0 lead. But Shohei Ohtani caused online reactions to erupt — off his walk-off home run.</p><p>The left-handed batter sent the baseball flying over the center field wall. Ohtani smacked a changeup pitch from Raisel Iglesias. The 399-foot bomb lifted the Dodgers to the 6-5 comeback win. And Ohtani became the toast of baseball social media following that Bottom of the ninth blast.</p><p>MLB analyst Ben Verlander posted his excitement in all caps. Verlander even handed Ohtani <a href="https://x.com/BenVerlander/status/1907635167289815195" rel="noopener">a stirring title. </a></p><p>“He’s the greatest player in the history of baseball,” Verlander shared on X.</p><p>Even a Los Angeles Lakers fan <a href="https://x.com/LSH_lakeshow/status/1907636218831188053" rel="noopener">couldn’t help but rave</a> about Ohtani.</p><p>“Shohei Ohtani aura is incredible man Walks up to the plate, every single fan gets on their feet, first pitch and BAM, its gone Ohtani was made for the bright lights of the L.A. Dodgers,” the fan shared online.</p><p>L.A. radio personality Greg Bergman <a href="https://x.com/ESPNLosAngeles/status/1907635526716502464" rel="noopener">emerged as another who couldn’t contain his excitement.</a></p><p>“Hahahaha how fitting!! Ohtani goes yard on a walk-off to complete a 5-run deficit on his bobblehead night. Just amazing how good this team is,” Bergman posted.</p><h2><b>Shohei Ohtani shined on bobblehead night for Dodgers star </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Shohei-Ohtani-celebrating.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Ohtani is used to walking in as one of the star attractions in Chavez Ravine. But <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-bobblehead-giveaway-draws-insane-line-hours-first-pitch">Ohtani caused a long line that began at 5:30 a.m. PT</a>.</p><p>The reigning Most Valuable Player became part of a special bobblehead night. Dodger fans arrived before the sun came up to get their hands on the special bobblehead before the stadium gates even opened.</p><p>Turns out the Ohtani-themed night wasn’t even a distraction for the superstar. Even manager Dave Roberts wasn’t surprised by Ohtani’s final moment.</p><p>“I just thought he would get on base. But last year on bobblehead night, he hit a grand slam. You just feel like he’s going to do something special,” Roberts told the media after the win. “There’s no one better.”</p><p>Ohtani ripped three hits on five at-bat attempts. The designated hitter scored one run and drove one runner in. He even grounded out on his first at-bat before ending the night with the walk-off moment. Ohtani’s homer brings the Dodgers’ record to 8-0 overall.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reactions erupt after Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off home run completes Dodgers comeback

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/max-muncy-debuts-new-torpedo-bat-before-dodgers-vs-braves-contest');   ga('set', 'title', 'Max Muncy debuts new torpedo bat before Dodgers vs. Braves contest');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-news-Max-Muncy-debuts-new-torpedo-bat.jpg"></figure><h1>Max Muncy debuts new torpedo bat before Dodgers vs. Braves contest</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T18:14:29-07:00">April 2nd, 6:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T18:16:16-07:00">April 2nd, 6:16pm</time><address><a>Lorenzo J Reyna</a>Lorenzo J Reyna has joined ClutchPoints as Associate Editor of NFL &amp; NCAA Football. He's equipped with past experience for both realms through his recent stops at Pro Football Network and Heavy while also writing for 247Sports. His Twitter/X handle is @LJ_Reyna and his Instagram is @lj_zo_rey.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of their stars joining in on the torpedo bat craze. Max Muncy busted one out, right before his team took on the Atlanta Braves Wednesday.</p><p>The left-handed batter Muncy was seen warming up with the widely-debated bat. L.A. radio personality David Vasseigh captured the moment during batting practice.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Max Muncy is swinging his brand new <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TorpedoBat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TorpedoBat</a> during BP. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dodgers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dodgers</a> <a href="https://t.co/DJVOnp5Bvk">pic.twitter.com/DJVOnp5Bvk</a></p><p>— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) <a href="https://twitter.com/THEREAL_DV/status/1907552273016017226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Muncy provided a far different distraction compared to the one outside Chavez Ravine. Fans flocked to the venue to get their hands on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-bobblehead-giveaway-draws-insane-line-hours-first-pitch">Shohei Ohtani bobblehead</a>. Multiple L.A. news outlets even reported that some fans got to the area as early as 5:30 a.m. PT.</p><p>Muncy, though, becomes the newest MLB star to get his hands on the torpedo bat. He <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6245770/2025/03/31/mlb-torpedo-bat-interest-viral/" rel="noopener">even spoke about the bat</a> in an interview with The Athletic back on March 31.</p><p>“It’s kind of exciting,” Muncy told Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. “We just had a long conversation about (how) in the 170 years and whatever that baseball has been around, the number of changes to the baseball bat has been minimal.”</p><p>Muncy added how “everyone swung ash” for 140 years before moving to birch material.</p><h2><b>Torpedo bat sparking MLB debate before Dodgers’ Max Muncy used it</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Max-Muncy-sliding.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The torpedo bat has emerged as the most compelling, and controversial, story of the early baseball season.</p><p>The New York Yankees rose as the first franchise attached to the high-profile baseball equipment. The reigning American League champs blasted a whopping 15 home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers in their three-game series sweep for opening week. Nine Yankees home runs came via the new bat, however. Critics surfaced for the Yanks after.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-jazz-chisholm-jr-idiots-complaining-new-bats">Yankees star Jazz Chisolm ripped those critics</a>, referring to them as “idiots” in calling out the team’s usage of the bat. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-judge-reveals-why-wont-use-controversial-torpedo-bats">New York star Aaron Judge is refusing to use the bat</a>, though.</p><p>The bats were legal to use <a href="https://content.mlb.com/documents/2/2/4/305750224/2019_Official_Baseball_Rules_FINAL_.pdf" rel="noopener">back in 2019</a> per MLB rules. Rule 3.02 states “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length.” Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees used torpedo bats last season.</p><p>Torpedo bats feature mass that’s more isolated at the “sweet spot” of a bat: The target area near the middle to create hits. It’s also the shape of a bowling pin rather than a traditional MLB bat.</p><p>No one on the Dodgers have ripped a home run using the specialized bat. Muncy surfaces as the first from the World Series champs to get filmed swinging one.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Max Muncy debuts new torpedo bat before Dodgers vs. Braves contest

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-bobblehead-giveaway-draws-insane-line-hours-first-pitch');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani bobblehead giveaway draws insane line hours before first pitch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Shohei-Ohtani-bobblehead-giveaway-draws-insane-line-hours-before-first-pitch.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani bobblehead giveaway draws insane line hours before first pitch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T15:18:04-07:00">April 2nd, 3:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T15:18:04-07:00">April 2nd, 3:18pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When it comes to sports in Los Angeles, few players are as popular in 2025 as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-mvp-win-fans-going-wild">Dodgers MVP Shohei Ohtani</a>.</p><p>Sure, there will always be Kobe Bryant, who will likely remain the city’s GOAT for the rest of time, as well as legends like LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Clayton Kershaw, and the like, but when Ohtani made the hour or so drive up from Orange County to cash in his Los Angeles Angles red for Dodgers blue, it instantly made him a legend worth far more than his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-los-angeles-700-million-10-years-contract-mlb-free-agency">$700 million contract</a>.</p><p>And as such, when the Dodgers have a chance to give a little something back to those fans via a bobblehead commemorating the World Series Champion’s first MVP season in blue and white, you’d best believe fans would pack out Blue Heaven for the honor.</p><p>But would you believe that this giveaway would be so in demand that fans would <a href="https://Twitter.com/THEREAL_DV/status/1907525729035878880">line up hours ahead of the opening pitch</a> to ensure they secured the keepsake? Well they have, with fans crowding the sidewalks from Elysian Park all the way into Chinatown to make sure they had the best chance possible for some “Shotime.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Fans have lineup up 4.5 hours before first pitch to secure the first Ohtani bobblehead giveaway of 2025. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dodgers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dodgers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OhtaniFever?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OhtaniFever</a> <a href="https://t.co/sbTPYGVYm7">pic.twitter.com/sbTPYGVYm7</a></p><p>— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) <a href="https://twitter.com/THEREAL_DV/status/1907525729035878880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Goodness gracious, that is one long line right along a pretty busy road.</p><p>While lines for Dodgers game going down into Chinatown are nothing new, as you’d think the turnstiles were in the storied neighborhood for the World Series last fall, based on how eagerly fans lined up to see the event, for a Tuesday afternoon game against a struggling Braves team, with a 5:38 PST start time no less, you’d think this has profound pennant implications.</p><p>So why are fans lining up to ensure they get a bobblehead, other than their love of the MVP? Well, for some, the decision comes down to commerce, with multiple Ohtani bobblehead listings already up on eBay for fans unable to attend the event to purchase, most of which are coming in at <a href="https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?campid=5338192028&amp;kw=ohtani%20bobblehead&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;toolid=20004" rel="noopener">around $150</a>, give or take.</p><p>Are there fans who see this as a chance to catch a free Dodgers game, as they will make the money back in the future off of a bobblehead sale? Maybe so, but one thing is for sure: Lining up for the giveaway might not be as necessary as some might have expected, as the Dodgers announced that <a href="https://x.com/BlakeHHarris/status/1907520797796938146" rel="noopener">all fans in attendance</a> will receive the Ohtani memorabilia, not just the first 40,000 through the turnstiles.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Brutal news for the people who started lining up at 8am <a href="https://t.co/6w1urNcTQj">https://t.co/6w1urNcTQj</a></p><p>— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlakeHHarris/status/1907520797796938146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani bobblehead giveaway draws insane line hours before first pitch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-la-athletics-trade-stolen-base-expert-esteury-ruiz');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers acquire stolen base expert in trade with A’s');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/LA-acquires-stolen-base-expert-in-trade-with-As.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers acquire stolen base expert in trade with A’s</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T10:44:14-07:00">April 2nd, 10:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T10:44:14-07:00">April 2nd, 10:44am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-mookie-betts-declares-himself-better-athlete-shohei-ohtani">Dodgers are primed for another trip</a> to the World Series this season after having another monster offseason improving the roster. That key roster-building has led L.A. to arguably have the best roster in the league right now. However, the front office managed to improve the team once again after finalizing a trade with the Athletics.</p><p>On Wednesday morning, the Dodgers <a href="https://x.com/Alden_Gonzalez/status/1907478273011126471" rel="noopener">officially made a trade</a> with the Athletics with outfielder Esteury Ruiz, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. Ruiz is an expert at stealing bases as he stole 67 bags in the 2023 season with the A’s.</p><p>“NEWS: The Dodgers are acquiring CF Esteury Ruiz from the A’s, sources tell ESPN. He stole an AL-leading 67 bases in 2023 and was designated for assignment three days ago.”</p><p>The Dodgers sent prospect <a href="https://x.com/fabianardaya/status/1907483796733309046?s=46&amp;t=YAm5wwmcnC6J27chz4RDIQ" rel="noopener">right-handed pitcher Carlos Duran</a> to the Athletics in the trade, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Los Angeles will immediately place Ruiz on the 40-man roster after moving right-handed pitcher Kyle Hurt to the 60-day injured list.</p><p>“Dodgers just announced the deal. RHP Carlos Duran is the return. Kyle Hurt was transferred to the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man spot.”</p><p>Reports also indicate the 26-year-old outfielder will be sent to Triple-A immediately. The Dodgers have a loaded team and don’t necessarily need Ruiz in the lineup right now. There’s a solid chance Los Angeles eventually calls him up to the majors to serve as a pinch runner and rotational piece in the outfield.</p><p>Despite having a breakout season in 2023 the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-bold-predictions-as-mlb-spring-training-gets-underway">Athletics chose to not play Esteury Ruiz</a> all that much in 2024. He played in just 29 games last season and spent most of his time with the A’s Triple-A affiliate. Ruiz finished the 2024 campaign with a .200 batting average and .270 OBP while recording two home runs, eight RBIs, and five stolen bases through 55 at-bats.</p><p>Ruiz’s age and athleticism suggest the Dodgers view him as a long-term piece for the outfield. Left fielder Michael Conforto and right fielder Teoscar Hernandez are both over 30 years of age while center fielder Andy Pages is still in his mid-20s. Esteury Ruiz should serve as a valuable asset sporadically this season, but his career outlook in Los Angeles looks great.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers acquire stolen base expert in trade with A’s

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-mookie-betts-declares-himself-better-athlete-shohei-ohtani');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Dodgers’ Mookie Betts declares himself better athlete than Shohei Ohtani');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Why-Mookie-Betts-declares-himself-better-athlete-than-Shohei-Ohtani.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Dodgers’ Mookie Betts declares himself better athlete than Shohei Ohtani</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T09:02:16-07:00">April 2nd, 9:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T09:02:16-07:00">April 2nd, 9:02am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Shohei Ohtani is probably the best player in MLB, but most of his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates believe he isn’t even the best athlete in the clubhouse. That title, they believe, is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers/mookie-betts-wears-air-jordan-4-x-nigel-sylvester-for-opening-day">reserved for Mookie Betts</a>.</p><p>While Ohtani’s two-way brilliance and<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-50-50-season"> historic feat of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases</a> last season makes him one of one, Betts was overwhelmingly voted the better athlete by the Dodgers roster in an informal poll by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Many on the team said they chose Betts because he has proven to be talented in just about any sport he picks up, and being able to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-mookie-betts-prove-everybody-wrong-playing-shortstop-dodgers">move from the outfield to shortstop</a> albeit with some hiccups surely did not hurt his case.</p><p>Chris Taylor called Betts “one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever played with, if not the greatest,” saying that the 2018 AL MVP was a “natural” and could play about any sport.</p><p>Some of the Dodgers gave proverbial points <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/why-mlb-stars-would-really-love-to-play-with-dodgers-mookie-betts-shohei-ohtani">to both Ohtani and Betts</a>, questioning what exactly being the superior athlete entails, but Betts did not hesitate in answering the question.</p><p>“Me,” Betts<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6247402/2025/04/02/mookie-betts-shohei-ohtani-dodgers-athlete/" rel="noopener"> said, via</a> Rosenthal. “Not even close.”</p><p>“If we’re talking about does he run fast, does he jump high and stuff, Shohei would win that,” Betts said. “But, as far as like, pure coordination skills, I don’t think it’s remotely close. I feel like it’s just what I do. It’s just what God blessed me with.”</p><p>If there is a player on the Dodgers that could rival Betts, though, Ohtani is a well-accomplished challenger. On the baseball diamond, Ohtani has three MVPs to Betts’ one, six All-MLB teams to Betts’ five, and the distinction of being one of the most unique talents in baseball history.</p><p>Although <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-set-bullpen-session-but-twist">Ohtani has yet to return to the mound</a> since undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023, he displayed pure dominance with the Los Angeles Angels both as a pitcher and batter, which made fans draw comparisons to the likes of Babe Ruth, who excelled as a two-way player early in his career before focusing on becoming an everyday player by moving to the outfield.</p><p>Last season, Ohtani’s first with the Dodgers, he became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases — he finished with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases — in a single season. As a result, despite only serving as a designated hitter, he won his first NL MVP and his third MVP award in four years.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Dodgers’ Mookie Betts declares himself better athlete than Shohei Ohtani

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-set-franchise-history-7th-straight-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers set franchise history with 7th-straight win');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-news-LA-sets-franchise-history-with-7th-straight-win.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers set franchise history with 7th-straight win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T01:12:38-07:00">April 2nd, 1:12am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T01:13:47-07:00">April 2nd, 1:13am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs sneakily boast one of the more balanced rosters in the National League. The Detroit Tigers are coming off a supernatural-like second-half to the 2024 MLB season, have a reigning American League pitching Triple Crown winner and are brimming with promise. And the Atlanta Braves are a consistent force who happen to have the reigning NL pitching Triple Crown winner. The Los Angeles Dodgers have vanquished them all.</p><p>On Tuesday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-tie-yankees-92-year-old-reigning-champion-record">the juggernaut accomplished something</a> that no defending champion had done since Babe Ruth swung a bat, beating the Atlanta Braves 3-1 to improve to 7-0 on the season. The victory also earns the Dodgers <a href="https://x.com/michaeljduarte/status/1907292972078768521" rel="noopener">their best start</a> since moving out west in 1958, per Michael J. Duarte of NBC Los Angeles.</p><h2><b>Mookie Betts, a returning right-hander help the Dodgers stay undefeated</b></h2><p>Less than a month after incurring an illness that caused him to lose almost 20 pounds and miss the Tokyo Series, star shortstop Mookie Betts once again came through with a big swing of the bat. Following an early error that resulted in the ice-cold Braves’ only run of the game, he hit a 369-foot home run to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.</p><p>The future Hall of Famer’s clutch dinger comes just four days after he launched a walk-off three-run homer versus the Tigers. He has quickly recovered from his previously feeble condition. Betts was not the lone hero in Chavez Ravine, however. Dustin May took the mound for the first time since May of 2023 and splendidly tossed five innings of one-hit ball. Will Smith added an RBI and has now recorded a hit in all seven regular season games (.471 batting average).</p><p>Beyond those standout performers, there is a clubhouse filled with valuable ballplayers, including global phenomenon Shohei Ohtani. Everything is clicking right now. Even with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-freddie-freeman-breaks-silence-after-shower-mishap">Freddie Freeman out of the lineup</a> due to a re-aggravated ankle injury, the Dodgers find ways to outlast the competition. They will ask Blake Snell to lead them to win No. 8 in Wednesday’s series finale versus the Braves.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers set franchise history with 7th-straight win

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-tie-yankees-92-year-old-reigning-champion-record');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers tie Yankees for 92-year-old reigning champion record');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-news-LA-ties-Yankees-for-92-year-old-reigning-champion-record.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers tie Yankees for 92-year-old reigning champion record</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T00:09:33-07:00">April 2nd, 12:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T00:09:50-07:00">April 2nd, 12:09am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It looked like the reining National League Cy Young could be the one to issue the dominant Los Angeles Dodgers their first blemish of the 2025 season, but clutch heroics and a surplus of talent allowed the 2024 World Series champions to stay perfect and beat the Atlanta Braves, 3-1.</p><p>A Mookie Betts error put the NL East ballclub on top 1-0 in the second inning, but the shortstop redeemed himself in the sixth. He belted a two-run home run off southpaw Chris Sale, the superstar’s third go-ahead blast in his last four games. Will Smith extended the lead with an RBI single, and the shockingly frigid Braves did not get back on the scoreboard for the rest of the night.</p><p>Right-handed pitcher Dustin May made his first start in almost two years, allowing just a single hit, striking out six batters and recording three walks in five innings. Dodger Stadium warmly embraced the 27-year-old, who underwent flexor tendon surgery and tore his esophagus over the last couple of challenging years. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-dustin-may-impresses-injury-return-after-685-day-absence-vs-braves">May’s triumphant return</a> helped LA achieve <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1907292979330453812" rel="noopener">remarkable MLB history</a>.</p><p>The Dodgers are now 7-0 this year, matching the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig-led 1933 New York Yankees for the best start ever by a defending champ. What is even more noteworthy is that Los Angeles has beaten a team expected to compete for a divisional title in the Chicago Cubs and two 2024 playoff clubs in the Detroit Tigers and Braves. Thus far, the endless hype surrounding this franchise has been validated.</p><h2><b>Dodgers are meeting the sky-high standard set for them</b></h2><p>Dave Roberts’ boys will try to sweep Atlanta on Wednesday night before heading east for a six-game road trip against the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals. Keep in mind that three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani is not even pitching yet. That’s right, the Dodgers’ ceiling should get even higher.</p><p>Their deferral-heavy and super-team nature is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/exclusive-alex-rodriguez-compares-dodgers-evil-empire-era-yankees">drawing the public’s ire</a>, and their relentless brilliance is utterly stumping opponents. Seizing the crown is one thing, but keeping away usurpers is possibly the most difficult feat to achieve in professional sports. LA is not breaking much of a sweat seven games in, though.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers tie Yankees for 92-year-old reigning champion record

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-dustin-may-impresses-injury-return-after-685-day-absence-vs-braves');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Dustin May impresses in injury return after 685-day absence vs. Braves');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-news-Dustin-May-impresses-in-injury-return-after-685-day-absence-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Dustin May impresses in injury return after 685-day absence vs. Braves</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T21:51:28-07:00">April 1st, 9:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T21:51:28-07:00">April 1st, 9:51pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-dustin-may-earns-starting-rotation-spot-begin-mlb-season" rel="noopener">Dustin May took the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers</a> in their second-straight game against the Atlanta Braves, it meant more than maintaining the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-dodgers-one-win-away-historic-feat-not-seen-since-1933">longest undefeated streak in baseball</a>.</p><p>Facing off against Chris Sale in a chilly pitchers’ duel in Los Angeles, May’s start marked the first time he’s played an MLB game in over 22 months, with the 27-year-old having to fight tooth and nail to get back to the diamond after his very life was called into question due to a freak accident.</p><p>After taking his wife out for dinner on an otherwise usual night, May took a bite of a salad and found that a lettuce leaf got stuck in his throat, causing him to choke. While he tried to get it down with some water, his attempt instead resulted in a series of increasingly alarming events that <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/dustin-may-returns-from-esophagus-elbow-injury" rel="noopener">ultimately resulted in surgery</a>.</p><p>Fortunately for May, his return was incredibly impressive, with the <a href="https://x.com/DodgersNation/status/1907274324748423237" rel="noopener">right-hander securing six Ks on 81 pitches</a> to go with 11 whiffs, a hit, and three walks. While he did technically surrender a run, the play was ruled unearned, as Mookie Betts was charged with an error for poor fielding.</p><p>Pulled after five complete innings, May was officially awarded a no-contest when, a few minutes later, Betts mashed in a two-run homer for the lead. But for May, any outcome was going to be a win, as after 685 days, he was back on the mound and throwing like he never left.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dustin May looks amazing in his first start for the Dodgers since May of 2023:</p><p>6 K<br>0 ER<br>1 H<br>3 BB<br>81 Pitches<br>11 Whiffs<br>5 IP</p><p>Couldn't be happier for May after all he's gone through 👏 <a href="https://t.co/9ERwMUSfAl">pic.twitter.com/9ERwMUSfAl</a></p><p>— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/DodgersNation/status/1907274324748423237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Dustin May impresses in injury return after 685-day absence vs. Braves

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-why-freddie-freeman-no-plans-using-torpedo-bat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman has no plans to start using torpedo bat');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-news-Why-Freddie-Freeman-has-no-plans-to-start-using-torpedo-bat.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman has no plans to start using torpedo bat</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T16:49:05-07:00">April 1st, 4:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T16:49:05-07:00">April 1st, 4:49pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>All is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-mookie-betts-opens-up-on-super-special-walk-off-home-run-vs-tigers">well with the Los Angeles Dodgers</a> to start the 2025 season, as the defending World Series Champions are off to a blazing 6-0 start to the year and already have the best record in Major League Baseball. They have jumped out to that flaming start despite getting just three games out of star first baseman Freddie Freeman, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-freddie-freeman-re-injured-right-ankle-in-shower-mishap">Freeman’s injury is a bit of a freak accident</a>, as he re-injured himself getting into the shower. Regardless, the ailment is not expected to keep the World Series MVP out for very long and he could be back in the lineup by Wednesday night.</p><p>Around the major leagues, the biggest storyline has to be the new “torpedo bats” that have allowed the New York Yankees to hit homers off of, well, just about anybody. Despite the success of the new bats, Freeman <a href="https://x.com/FabianArdaya/status/1907194827110044066" rel="noopener">isn’t planning on making the switch</a> and backing the analytics anytime soon, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.</p><p>“I’ve swung the same bat for 16 years,” Freeman said, per Ardaya.</p><p>This news comes as absolutely no surprise considering the success that Freeman has had with a traditional bat during his career. He is one of the best players and hitters of this generation and will undoubtedly be in the Hall of Fame when his career comes to an end.</p><p>Freeman absolutely dominated the World Series against the Yankees last season, crushing a home run in four of the five games and tallying 12 RBIs. His walk-off blast in Game 1 will be remembered in Los Angeles forever and is a big reason why he instantly became a Dodgers legend.</p><p>Even in a small sample size this season, Freeman has had a strong start to the 2025 campaign with the traditional bat. In three games and 12 at-bats, he has recorded three hits and all of them have gone for extra bases. Two of those hits have been home runs, and the former Braves star is already up to four RBIs. When he gets back into the lineup, expect the veteran to continue crushing it at the plate.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman has no plans to start using torpedo bat

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-freddie-freeman-breaks-silence-after-shower-mishap');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman breaks silence after shower ‘mishap’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-news-Freddie-Freeman-breaks-silence-after-shower-mishap.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman breaks silence after shower ‘mishap’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T15:56:49-07:00">April 1st, 3:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T17:16:47-07:00">April 1st, 5:16pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When news broke that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-freddie-freeman-reaction-world-series-mvp-award">World Series MVP Freddie Freeman</a> would miss time after suffering a “mishap in the shower,” it left Los Angeles Dodgers fans with more questions than answers.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-freddie-freeman-re-injured-right-ankle-in-shower-mishap">How badly did Freeman reaggravate his ankle</a>, which cost him time in the past? Would he be back on the field in no time? Or is this something that would linger, leaving him questionable for the foreseeable future and at risk of further injury to his surgically-repaired ankle moving forward?</p><p>Well, on Tuesday, Freeman finally addressed with reporters what happened head-on and revealed <a href="https://x.com/ByJackHarris/status/1907194373533773911" rel="noopener">when he hopes to return to the lineup</a> for Dave Roberts, as relayed by the Los Angeles Times’ Jack Harris.</p><p>“Freddie Freeman was obviously frustrated about re-injuring his ankle slipping in the shower this weekend, but he said he’s already feeling better and is going to go through a full day of work today,” Harris wrote. “He’s hoping to play tomorrow, but said the team might push his return to Friday.”</p><p>Freeman’s words fall perfectly in line with what Roberts <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/mlb-baseball-news-freddie-freeman-injury-report-dave-roberts-shares-update-on-sidelined-dodgers-satr-after-bizarre-shower-mishap/" rel="noopener">had to say on the injury</a> as well, informing fans that his MVP had “a ‘mishap’ entering the shower at home and tweaked the same surgically-repaired right ankle,” according to Vishnupriya Agrawal of Essentially Sports.</p><p>With Freeman out, the Dodgers had to shuffle up their lineup for the opening game of their series against the Atlanta Braves. Mookie Betts returned to his usual spot in the second hole, while Teoscar Hernandez bumped up to three and Michael Conforto was placed in the cleanup spot by Roberts.</p><p>While the Dodgers ended up making quick work of an Atlanta squad in crisis, securing a 6-1 win thanks to big plays from Hernandez, Tyler Glasnow, and Tommy Edman, Freeman’s presence was missed by the thousands of fans who packed out Blue Heaven.</p><p>Will the Dodgers be able to survive the series without Freeman if he can’t return? More likely than not, yes they will but the sooner LA gets Freeman back, the better. He is without a doubt one of the true fan favorite stars of this Dodgers squad, with the electricity he brings to the field matched only by Betts and Shohei Ohtani when they come to the plate.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman breaks silence after shower ‘mishap’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dodgers-one-win-away-historic-feat-not-seen-since-1933');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers are one win away from historic feat not seen since 1933');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dodgers-news-LA-is-one-win-away-from-historic-feat-not-seen-since-1933.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers are one win away from historic feat not seen since 1933</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T01:44:15-07:00">April 1st, 1:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T01:44:15-07:00">April 1st, 1:44am</time><address><a>Nathan Yasis</a>Nathan Yasis is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, specializing in the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A strong performance on the mound propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to an even more dominant start to their season. Tyler Glasnow silenced the Atlanta Braves over five scoreless innings in his debut, laying the foundation for a 6-1 series-opening win Monday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers became only the third defending World Series champion to open a season with <a href="https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/1906928822848479576" rel="noopener">at least six consecutive victories</a>, joining the 1985 Detroit Tigers (6-0) and the 1933 New York Yankees (7-0).</p><p>Their 6-0 start ties the Dodgers’ best season-opening run since the franchise relocated to Los Angeles in 1958. The only other Dodgers team to begin with six straight wins was the 1981 squad, which went on to capture the World Series title.</p><p>Even without <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-freddie-freeman-re-injured-right-ankle-in-shower-mishap">Freddie Freeman, who reinjured his surgically repaired right ankle</a> after slipping in the shower over the weekend, the Dodgers’ offense struck early with four runs and maintained control the rest of the way.</p><p>In his first start of 2025—and his first appearance since an elbow injury ended his season last August—Glasnow wasted no time setting the tone. He opened by striking out the first two batters, freezing Michael Harris II with a sharp curveball before blowing a 98 mph fastball past Austin Riley.</p><h2><b>Tyler Glasnow becoming a revelation for the Dodgers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-celebrating.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>A brief control issue in the second led to a pair of leadoff walks, but he escaped unscathed. He didn’t surrender a hit until the fifth inning, showcasing the same dominant arsenal that had positioned him as the Dodgers’ projected postseason ace before elbow tendinitis kept him out of October.</p><p>Glasnow likely had more innings in him after the fifth, having thrown only 79 pitches. But with the Dodgers already up 5-0, manager Dave Roberts took the opportunity to lean on a well-rested bullpen following Sunday’s off-day.</p><p>Tyler Glasnow might be one of the more underrated members of Los Angeles’ rotation, despite starting on Opening Day in 2024. Meanwhile, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell took the mound for the openers in Japan and at home, respectively.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-roki-sasaki-brutally-honest-wretched-dodger-stadium-debut">Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki’s transition</a> to the Majors has sparked plenty of interest, and Dustin May is poised to make his return to a big league mound after nearly two years of challenges.</p><p>The Dodgers have already carved out a place in the record books. While their five-game win streak wasn’t without challenges—coming from behind in four of those victories—they still managed to produce 30 runs, draw 21 walks, blast 12 home runs, and rack up 59 strikeouts, all without committing a single error. No team in MLB history had ever accomplished that over any five-game span.</p><p>Now, they have their sights set on even more historic milestones, aiming to match the franchise’s best season-opening run—a 10-0 start set by Brooklyn’s 1955 World Series championship team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers are one win away from historic feat not seen since 1933

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-freddie-freeman-re-injured-right-ankle-in-shower-mishap');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman re-injured right ankle in shower ‘mishap’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Dodgers-news-Freddie-Freeman-re-injured-right-ankle-in-shower-mishap.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman re-injured right ankle in shower ‘mishap’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T17:13:41-07:00">March 31st, 5:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T17:13:41-07:00">March 31st, 5:13pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After playing the last three games <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/braves-vs-dodgers-prediction-odds-pick-3-31-2025">for the Los Angeles Dodgers</a>, Freddie Freeman is officially ruled out for Monday night’s contest against the Atlanta Braves. Freeman, who had received surgery repairs for his right ankle, tweaked it during a “mishap” in the shower.</p><p>Manager Dave Roberts claimed that Freddie Freeman received an ankle injury <a href="https://x.com/FabianArdaya/status/1906844824562782481" rel="noopener">while stepping into the shower</a> on Monday, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The Dodgers first baseman is ruled out and is considered day-to-day.</p><p>“Freddie Freeman had a ‘mishap’ entering the shower at home and tweaked the same surgically-repaired right ankle, Dave Roberts said. Won’t be available tonight and is day to day.”</p><p>The day-to-day designation is a good sign, as it provides a chance for the 35-year-old first baseman to avoid going on the injured list. Regardless, the Dodgers will monitor Freeman for the time being and give him the time he needs to recover from the scary shower fall.</p><p>Enrique Hernandez is slated to fill in at first base while Freeman tends his ankle. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-watch-shohei-ohtani-receive-world-series-ring-front-raucous-fans">The Dodgers will miss</a> Freddie Freeman’s bat on Monday though, as he’s played well in three games played. So far, he’s hitting a .250 batting average while recording two home runs, and four RBIs. He also owns a .833 slugging percentage as well.</p><p>Freeman originally got surgery on his right ankle in December 2024 after he suffered an ankle sprain in late September. He played through the injury and helped the Dodgers win the World Series. He opted for surgery to help clean up loose bodies and help recover from the sprain quicker.</p><p>The good news for the Dodgers is that the team can afford to give Freeman as much time to heal as they need. Los Angeles has one of, if not, the most dominant lineup in the league that’s backed with an ultra-powerful pitching rotation and bullpen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman re-injured right ankle in shower ‘mishap’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/exclusive-alex-rodriguez-compares-dodgers-evil-empire-era-yankees');   ga('set', 'title', 'Exclusive: Alex Rodriguez compares Dodgers to his Evil Empire Era Yankees');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Exclusive-Alex-Rodriguez-compares-Dodgers-to-his-Evil-Empire-Era-Yankees.jpg"></figure><h1>Exclusive: Alex Rodriguez compares Dodgers to his Evil Empire Era Yankees</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T10:22:27-07:00">March 31st, 10:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T10:23:30-07:00">March 31st, 10:23am</time><address><a>DJ Siddiqi</a>DJ Siddiqi is a features writer for ClutchPoints, with over 13 years of experience covering the NFL, NBA, and NCAA Football. Siddiqi has bylines at Forbes, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, and Heavy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Alex Rodriguez isn’t sugarcoating it — the Los Angeles Dodgers are the team to beat in baseball right now.</p><p>The Dodgers are off to a sensational start to the 2025 season, going 5-0 with the second-best run differential in the early part of the year at plus-14 runs. That’s actually the second-best mark to Rodriguez’s former team, the New York Yankees, who have a plus-20 run differential. However,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-teoscar-hernandez-world-series-run-statement"> the Dodgers are obviously the defending World Series champs</a>, having defeated the Yankees in five games during the 2024 World Series.</p><p>“Yeah,” says Rodriguez in a one-on-one interview when asked if the Yankees are the favorites to win the World Series. “And you know how hard it is to repeat, you know what I mean? I think the Dodgers can make an argument. They’re head and shoulders, the class of baseball right now.”</p><p>The Dodgers return essentially their entire core from last season, including dual-threat Shohei Ohtani and 2024 World Series MVP Freddie Freeman. That’s in addition to their major offseason additions which <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-mlb-buying-roki-sasaki-hype">includes prized international pitching sensation Roki Sasaki</a>.</p><p>Los Angeles has become the powerhouse of Major League Baseball, winning two World Series titles over the past five years. They’ve also advanced to the postseason 12 consecutive times, which is two away from the record set by the Atlanta Braves. They also made back-to-back World Series appearances during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.</p><p>Outside of their clear success on the baseball diamond, they <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/_/year/2025/sort/cap_total2" rel="noopener">also have the largest MLB payroll at $330 million</a>. For perspective, the Yankees rank third with a $288 million payroll.</p><p>“They might be the first team in professional sports that can do a billion dollars of gross revenue,” says Rodriguez. “Those revenues are translated to deploying great resources on the field and they have it all going. When you think about the Dodgers, it’s a trifecta.  Between business and business operations, player development and drafting, what they do in free agency and then what they do in the community, it’s pretty phenomenal to see what they’re doing.”</p><p>While the Dodgers still have a few more World Series titles to chase to match the early millennium Yankees, they’re on the track to doing so. The Bronx Bombers won four World Series titles between 1996 and 2000 and won a fifth with Rodriguez during the 2009 season. That’s not mentioning the 2001 and 2003 World Series appearances to add to that, including the 13 consecutive postseason appearances between 1995 and 2007.</p><p>The Yankees were also notable at the time for having by far the largest MLB payroll, leading the league every year from 1999 until 2013. Unsurprisingly, they often signed and acquired the biggest names every offseason, which they did with Rodriguez prior to the start of the 2004 season.</p><p>The three-time MVP acknowledges that this current version of the Dodgers reminds him a lot of the Yankees from his era.</p><p>“Yeah, you never thought that the Yankees can even have a comp,” says Rodriguez. “But you can make an argument that they’re kind of looking up to the Dodgers now from that trifecta point of view.”</p><p>It’s worth mentioning that Rodriguez is still optimistic that his <a href="https://rg.org/news/baseball/alex-rodriguez-backs-yankees-to-overcome-injuries-and-chase-title" rel="noopener">former team can chase a title this season</a> despite mounting injuries, including a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/1-trade-yankees-must-make-after-devastating-gerrit-cole-injury-update">season-ending one to ace pitcher Gerrit Cole</a>. However, it’s clear that until the Yankees proven they can beat the Dodgers, Los Angeles is the “class” of the MLB right now.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Exclusive: Alex Rodriguez compares Dodgers to his Evil Empire Era Yankees

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-roki-sasaki-brutally-honest-wretched-dodger-stadium-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Roki Sasaki gets brutally honest on wretched Dodger Stadium debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Roki-Sasaki-gets-brutally-honest-on-wretched-Dodger-Stadium-debut.jpg"></figure><h1>Roki Sasaki gets brutally honest on wretched Dodger Stadium debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-30T06:33:02-07:00">March 30th, 6:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-30T06:33:02-07:00">March 30th, 6:33am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers secured their fifth straight victory to open the 2025 campaign, as they swept the Detroit Tigers out of town with a 7-3 victory on Saturday night. However, they didn’t get much from their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-mlb-buying-roki-sasaki-hype">extremely hyped new starting pitcher Roki Sasaki</a>, as he struggled in his second consecutive outing for the Dodgers.</p><p>Making his debut at Dodger Stadium, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-roki-sasaki-pulled-second-inning-rough-start-vs-tigers">Sasaki didn’t manage to make it very far</a> in the game, as he threw 60 pitches over just 1.2 innings before manager Dave Roberts pulled the plug on him. Sasaki struggled to put hitters away, as he gave up three hits and four walks during his brief outing, but he managed to limit the damage to just two runs. After the game, Sasaki <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/03/30/dodgers-mlb-wins-record-roki-sasaki/82725412007/" rel="noopener">provided a blunt assessment</a> of his second start in the majors.</p><p>“Overall, I didn’t feel that I had a good feel for my pitches,” Sasaki said. “My slider felt pretty good. But my fastball-split – velo-wise, command-wise – wasn’t there. … I don’t expect myself to be able to fix everything in a short period of time. That being said, I am going to be pitching every week so I do expect as a major-league pitcher to be able to put up quality outings.’’</p><h2><b>Dodgers hoping Roki Sasaki can find his footing</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Dodgers-starting-pitcher-Roki-Sasaki.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>This is the second start in which Sasaki has struggled with his control, as he only managed to last three innings against the Chicago Cubs in his MLB debut, which came in the second game of the Tokyo Series. Sasaki once again limited the damage, allowing only one run, but so far, the Japanese phenom has not managed to live up to the incredibly high expectations surrounding him.</p><p>In a way, that’s what should have been expected, as making the jump from Japan to the MLB can be difficult, but when you post a career earned run average of 2.10 like Sasaki did during his time in Japan, expectations are going to be heightened. For now, Sasaki is still finding his way, but Los Angeles has more than enough talent at their disposal to be able to stay afloat as Sasaki endures some early growing pains.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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