LOS ANGELES -- You get a run, you get a run, everybody gets a run.
Tuesday night’s series opener between the Dodgers and Mariners played out less like a tight pitching duel and more like an Oprah Winfrey giveaway, with both offenses answering each other frame by frame in a game that featured three separate ties. But when the dust settled at Dodger Stadium, it was Seattle that took the final lead, handing Los Angeles a 7-6 defeat.
Despite the loss, the storyline for Los Angeles wasn't a lack of punch at the plate. The Dodgers' offense came out aggressive, matching Seattle swing-for-swing through seven chaotic innings.
Shohei Ohtani set the tone early with a leadoff blast -- his 23rd home run of the season -- and came through again in the fourth, lining a clutch RBI single with the bases loaded to knot the game at 4, although a missed sign from Kyle Tucker kept another run from coming in. Max Muncy added fireworks of his own with a solo home run in the fifth -- his 130th at Dodger Stadium, tied with Eric Karros for most all-time -- while Dalton Rushing and Tommy Edman consistently sparked rallies from the bottom half of the order.
The real test for Los Angeles came on the mound, as starter Justin Wrobleski endured his toughest outing of the month. The young left-hander gave up five earned runs on seven hits -- including four home runs -- over six innings, striking out seven as his season ERA bumped from 2.62 to 2.88.
Wrobleski’s outing comes at a time when the Dodgers are intentionally being mindful of his workload. Having already surpassed his previous career high in innings pitched, Los Angeles is actively looking for ways to monitor the 26-year-old’s usage down the stretch to ensure he remains fresh. While Tuesday wasn't Wrobleski’s sharpest night, his ability to grind through six full innings saved the bullpen from taking on an early workload.
With the score tied at 5 in the eighth, the game once again swung in Seattle’s favor when right fielder Dominic Canzone launched his second home run of the night, taking reliever Alex Vesia deep to put the Mariners ahead, 7-5.
Yet even in the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers didn't go down quietly. Facing Seattle closer Andrés Muñoz, Rushing kicked off a late rally with a sharp infield single before Ohtani crushed a line-drive RBI double to right field, advancing to third on an error and pulling Los Angeles within a run.
After two quick outs, Muncy worked a grueling nine-pitch walk, then stole second, to put the winning run in scoring position, bringing Dodger Stadium to its feet one last time. Mookie Betts grounded out to shortstop to seal the victory for Seattle -- but in a game defined by back-and-forth offensive fireworks, the Dodgers showed plenty of fight at the plate, pounding out 13 hits on the night.