What a rear-end whooping that was. The Dodgers on Tuesday returned home from their six-game East Coast swing to obliterate the defending champion Texas Rangers 15-2.
Here are some takeaways from a laugher at Dodger Stadium:
1. Welcome back, top of the order
The top of the Dodgers order from Mookie Betts in the leadoff spot through Will Smith in the cleanup spot struggled against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium over the weekend. That slump from four All-Stars wasn't expected to last long though, and they announced their return with authority in the top of the first inning against the Rangers. Shohei Ohtani drew a one-out walk, Freddie Freeman looped a single to right, and then Smith lined a 1-0 slider over the left field fence for a three-run home run -- his 10th of the season. They continued their onslaught throughout the evening, with the top four hitters in the starting lineup combining to go 8-for-13 with a double, three home runs, four walks, nine runs scored and nine RBIs. It's no coincidence the Dodgers plated 15 runs on a night their top four hitters were all raking.
2. James Paxton bounces back
Paxton has given up four-plus runs three times this season, including in his last start against the Pirates when he allowed six earned through just 1.2 innings. The previous two times he'd done it he went a combined 9.2 innings, allowing just five hits and one run with no walks and seven strikeouts. He bounced back in similar fashion Tuesday night with a 6.0-inning start where he allowed two hits and one run. He walked a pair and struck out a pair. Paxton doesn't need to be a Cy Young candidate. As long as he can avoid stringing rough outings together he's a good fifth starter for LA.
3. Ohtani vs. Dunning
The Ohtani matchup vs. Rangers starter Dane Dunning was fun. Dunning has faced Ohtani more than any other player in his career and has enjoyed some success against him. The two-time MVP is batting just .190 against him in 30 plate appearances, but after walking twice in Tuesday's game he's now drawn seven walks and improved his on-base percentage against Dunning to a respectable .358. This was a very minor subplot in this game, but we were fascinated by it so it lands in our takeaways.
4. Someone's heating up
Gavin Lux had three hits in the Dodgers' series finale against the Yankees. He came back with a single off the first-base bag in the bottom of the fourth, then laced a single to left center in the bottom of the fifth. Over his last 15 games Lux is 15-for-51 (.294) with three doubles and a triple. He's still batting just .223 for the season, but his recent hot streak provides some optimism that he could be trending back toward the player he was in 2022 when he hit .276 with a .346 on-base percentage and posted a 2.7 WAR in 129 games.
5. So. Many. Runs.
LA's scuffling offense roared to life once again Tuesday night, cranking out a season-high 15 runs behind five home runs, from Will Smith, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez and Jason Heyward. The Dodgers after almost a month of slow offensive outputs appear to be fully back on track.
