MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jacob Misiorowski bounced back after allowing a leadoff homer to Shohei Ohtani by striking out 12 in six innings as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 on Tuesday night.
The NL West-leading Dodgers have lost five straight.
Ohtani opened the game by connecting on an 0-2 curveball from Misiorowski and delivering a 431-foot shot over the center-field wall. Misiorowski (4-1) responded by striking out Los Angeles’ next five batters and ended up yielding only four hits and one walk to outduel three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw.
The 12 strikeouts represented a career high for the 6-foot-7 rookie right-hander, who was making his fifth start.
The Brewers pulled ahead for good by scoring two runs off Kershaw in the fourth inning. Milwaukee added an insurance run when Sal Frelick homered off Kirby Yates in the eighth.
Milwaukee’s Jared Koenig, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill didn’t allow a baserunner over the last three innings. Megill worked the ninth for his 21st save in 24 opportunities.
Kershaw (4-1) worked six innings and allowed two runs and six hits while striking out three and walking one.
Milwaukee tied the game when Andrew Vaughn’s single to center scored William Contreras, who led off the fourth with an infield hit. Isaac Collins singled home Jackson Chourio with the go-ahead run.
Key moment
The Dodgers wasted a golden opportunity to tie the game or take the lead against Misiorowski in the sixth. Ohtani walked and Mookie Betts singled to start the sixth inning, and they advanced when Freddie Freeman grounded to first. Ohtani attempted to score on Andy Pages’ grounder to the left side of the infield, but third baseman Andruw Monasterio threw him out at the plate. Michael Conforto then grounded to first to strand runners at the corners.
Key stat
Ohtani’s homer was his 31st of the season, the most by a Dodger before the All-Star break.
Up next
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.50 ERA) is expected to come off the injured list and pitch for the Dodgers for the first time since April 27 in Wednesday’s series finale. Left-hander José Quintana (6-3, 3.44) starts for Milwaukee.
