Freeman extends hitting streak to 16 games, Dodgers beat Rays 6-5
Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy (13) celebrates with third base coach Dino Ebel (91) after Muncy hit a solo home run off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 27, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Freddie Freeman extended his hitting streak to 16 games, Max Muncy and Miguel Vargas homered, and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers beat the MLB-best Tampa Bay Rays 6-5 on Saturday.
Freeman finished 2 for 3 with two walks and is hitting .444 (28 for 63) with 18 RBIs during his streak.
Mookie Betts had an RBI single and Freeman followed with a run-scoring double off Colin Poche (3-1) as Los Angeles took a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning. Vargas added a solo shot in the eighth.
Harold Ramírez hit the Rays' major league-leading 100th homer, but Tampa Bay dropped to 25-6 at home.
Los Angeles has 84 home runs, which is second in the National League.
Neither starting pitcher, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw nor Tampa Bay right-hander Tyler Glasnow, made it past the fifth inning.
Yency Almonte (3-0) worked a perfect sixth. Caleb Ferguson gave up Wander Franco's RBI single before getting his second save.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman watches his RBI double off Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Colin Poche during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 27, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Dodgers' Mookie Betts scored on the play. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
Ferguson entered with one out in the ninth and allowed Taylor Walls' double. After striking out Jose Siri and walking Yandy Díaz, the left-hander permitted Franco's single to center field before getting a game-ending grounder from Ramírez.
Glasnow went 4 1/3 innings in his season debut after being sidelined by a strained left oblique. He allowed three runs and five hits while striking out eight in an 83-pitch outing. The 6-foot-8 righty was limited to 39 games from 2019-22 due to injuries.
Kershaw went on the bereavement list Monday following the death of his mother. He was activated Friday and gave up four runs on six hits over five innings.
Kershaw beat Glasnow twice in the 2020 World Series as the Dodgers defeated Tampa Bay in six games. The lefty had also won his two prior regular-season starts against the Rays, posting a 1.88 ERA.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 27, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
Manuel Margot had a two-run single in the fourth, and Ramírez put the Rays ahead 4-3 with his two-run homer to right.
Muncy, hitless in his previous 10 at-bats, connected on his 16th homer leading off the second. He hit an RBI double in the fourth and scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.
MOVING DAY
To make room for Glasnow on the roster, RHP Cooper Criswell was optioned to Triple-A Durham one day after getting his first big league win.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers LHP Julio Urías (left hamstring) had his scheduled Saturday bullpen session pushed back to Tuesday after experiencing some soreness throwing Friday.
UP NEXT
Rays LHP Josh Fleming (1-0) will start or follow an opener against Dodgers rookie RHP Gavin Stone (0-0) in Sunday's game that starts at 11:35 a.m. EDT, which is 8:35 a.m. Los Angeles time.
“I was thinking about sleeping here. I've never stayed in the stadium,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts joked.
