Dodgers news: Runners in scoring position & home runs

Los Angeles had two hits in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position, but neither hit did not drive in a run. Shohei Ohtani did not score from second base on the Andy Pages double in the third inning, mostly because the ball was nearly caught in center field. The Dodgers scored their only run of the game in that inning, though on a ground out.

The other non-run-scoring hit with a runner in scoring position was a Miguel Rojas infield single in the second inning that moved two runners up 90 feet to load the bases. Believe it or not, 22 of the Dodgers’ 137 hits (16.1 percent) with runners in scoring position failed to score a run this season. But that’s right in line with MLB as a whole (16.4 percent), so this happens more often than you — or at least I — might have thought.

The bigger drain on offense was all eight of those at-bats with runners in scoring position came in the first three innings, with nary a threat over the final six innings.

But despite all that, the Dodgers still led 1-0 into the sixth inning. But home runs in three consecutive innings spoiled that hope. Arizona was hitless in two at-bats with runners in scoring position, both in the first inning. But they found a workaround with the long ball.

The Dodgers have allowed three home runs in a game five times this season, never more than that to date, though one of those contests was last Tuesday’s blowout of the Colorado Rockies that saw Rojas give up two of the three home runs in an inning he entered with a 14-run lead.

The Dodgers have won three of the five games in which they allowed three home runs. They are 12-0 when hitting at least three home runs, four of those games in the last week. MLB teams as a whole this season have a .238 win percentage when allowing at least three home runs, including .279 when allowing exactly three home runs.

Eric Lauer allowed one home run, a solo shot for the only run he allowed in his Dodgers debut last Tuesday, the aforementioned blowout of the Rockies. He led the American League with 11 home runs allowed at the time the Toronto Blue Jays traded him to Los Angeles.

Lauer’s mound opponent on Tuesday, right-hander Michael Soroka, has allowed four home runs in his 11 starts this season. Only two of those home runs were hit in his 34 1/3 innings at Chase Field, during which he has a 1.57 ERA.