MINNEAPOLIS – The road to a milestone is rarely a straight line, which the Dodgers proved Monday night in their 50th victory of 2026.
Left-hander Eric Lauer provided a stellar performance in relief to guide the Dodgers to a 2-1 win at Target Field. Entering in the second inning after opener Will Klein, Lauer held the Twins hitless across six frames, striking out two, while keeping Minnesota off balance. Lauer gave the offense enough breathing room to become the first team in MLB to reach the 50-win mark this season.
“He was great," manager Dave Roberts said of Lauer. "I don't think he had his best stuff, but I think that he did a good job of changing speeds, executing pitches, and letting those guys put the ball in play. And he controlled the pace of the game and took down a lot of hitters, got us to the eighth inning."
Lauer acknowledged that relying on the defense behind him provided some necessary stability, especially on a night where his velocity wasn't at its peak
"I think it plays a huge role," Lauer said. "I think that’s exactly what I want to see, especially on days like today, when I don't feel like I have my best stuff or my best velo. I'm still able to command the zone and execute pitches well, so, putting a lot of emphasis on the defense today was a huge part."
Supported by Lauer's hitless relief, the Dodgers' offense relied on the long ball to secure the win. Shohei Ohtani launched a leadoff home run to right field off Twins starter Zebby Matthews in the top of the first – his 17th of the year and the 24th leadoff blast of his Dodgers career.
With the game locked in a 1-1 tie, Freddie Freeman delivered the deciding blow in the top of the sixth, demolishing a solo shot to center field to put Los Angeles ahead for good.
Lauer's outing followed an unexpected adjustment to the pitching schedule. The Dodgers altered their plans ahead of Monday’s series opener, electing to start right-hander Klein as an opener.
In the first inning, Klein allowed one run on two hits, including a home run from Byron Buxton. He struck out two and walked one before handing the ball to Lauer.
Roberts explained before the game that the decision was dictated strictly by matchup advantages against the top of Minnesota's batting order.
Lauer credited the upfront communication from Roberts and the coaching staff for allowing him to navigate the unconventional relief appearance smoothly.
"Doc told me pretty early on they were thinking about it," Lauer said. "We had a nice conversation about it. He explained his thoughts on it. I explained my thoughts on it, and we had a nice come together of, 'This is the plan, this is what we see and we're not going to deviate from it.' So I think that's huge, especially in this kind of situation where some unknowns can creep in throughout the game."
Lauer added that having a clear plan helps eliminate the in-game guessing games that previously frustrated him when following an opener.
"I think my issue is more with when plans change," Lauer explained. "It makes it way harder when you know the plan changes in-game. So being able to have that solidity and know what the idea is, what the plan is, and what's going to be executed just allows me to prepare to be my best when I get out there."
Putting a damper on the win, the Dodgers lost right fielder Kyle Tucker (lower back spasms) and catcher Dalton Rushing (concussion evaluation) in the span of one inning. The sudden exits tested a roster depth that has already had to absorb some major missing pieces over the season
Roberts pointed to that specific organizational adaptability as the defining characteristic of the team's race to 50 victories.
"I think that's the word, resilience," Roberts said. "And there's a lot of things that we can't control -- health, performance. So it's just guys have to be ready when called upon. Even tonight, to see Alex [Call] come in and make a really nice defensive play, throw out a couple of hits, and then Chuckie [Robinson] to come in cold and then catch the way he did was huge for us. But a lot of guys step up in place of some guys that have been hurt. It speaks to the depth and just also the mindset we're just going to keep moving forward."