Ohtani battles, Freeman powers Dodgers to sweep of Rays

LOS ANGELES — The margin for error was razor-thin all week, and on Wednesday afternoon at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers once again found a way to come out on top.

Behind another timely swing from Freddie Freeman, a resilient outing from Shohei Ohtani, and a heart-stopping finish by Alex Vesia, the Dodgers edged the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-4, to complete a three-game sweep and improve to 48-27 on the season.

Ric Tapia – The Sporting Tribune

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium on June 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

It was the Dodgers’ third consecutive one-run victory over the Rays, and perhaps the most dramatic of the series.

After watching a two-run lead disappear during a chaotic fifth inning, the Dodgers responded immediately before Freeman delivered the decisive blow in the sixth. From there, a bullpen that has been nearly flawless throughout the series slammed the door shut one final time.

Not before making everyone sweat.

Vesia entered the ninth inning tasked with protecting a one-run lead and quickly found himself navigating dangerous waters. Three walks, including an intentional one, loaded the bases with two outs and brought Cedric Mullins to the plate representing Tampa Bay’s last hope.

The left-hander never blinked.

“Honestly, I threw the slider before and I just felt really good coming out of my hand,” Vesia said afterward. “So I just pretty much told myself, do exactly what I did on the other slider. Thankfully, that was a strike and he swung and missed, so I’ll take it.”

Vesia’s strikeout of Mullins ended the game and capped a remarkable week for the Dodgers bullpen, which delivered nine scoreless innings during the three-game set.

The catcher behind the plate, Dalton Rushing, played a significant role in settling Vesia during the tense final moments.

“I was leaning on him honestly,” Vesia said. “He had some good words of encouragement.”

Rushing later revealed his message.

“You have the chance to close this game out right now.”

The Dodgers needed every bit of that composure after Ohtani endured his toughest inning of the season.

For four innings, Ohtani looked dominant. He cruised through the first inning on just 13 pitches and allowed only one hit through four innings. Entering Wednesday, he had not allowed a multi-run inning in any of his first 10 starts this season.

That streak ended in his last start in Pittsburgh and again on Wednesday.

Holding a 2-0 lead after RBI singles from Alex Call and Alex Freeland in the fourth inning, Ohtani ran into a barrage of Rays contact.

Victor Mesa Jr. opened the inning with a walk before Hunter Feduccia doubled. Taylor Walls lifted a sacrifice fly, and Yandy Díaz followed with an RBI single to tie the game. Jonathan Aranda added another hit, and after a costly infield sequence loaded the bases, Junior Caminero’s line drive created another scoring opportunity. Richie Palacios then delivered an RBI single that pushed Tampa Bay ahead 4-2.

By inning’s end, Ohtani had surrendered four earned runs, a season high.

Complicating matters further, blood became visible on Ohtani’s pitching hand as he continued dealing with a blister issue that has lingered over the past week.

“Just part of the game,” Ohtani said. “There’s not a lot of situations where you feel one hundred percent, so I just took it as that. It’s big that we were able to win a game like this.”

Despite the rough inning, Ohtani regrouped and returned for the sixth, retiring the side efficiently to finish his outing.

“I felt good overall,” Ohtani said. “It’s just really that inning, the fifth inning that I wasn’t too pleased. But aside from that, the stuff was good and felt pretty good overall.”

The Dodgers wasted no time backing their star.

Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth, they loaded the bases with nobody out on a Freeman walk and consecutive singles by Mookie Betts and Miguel Rojas. They managed only one run on a bases-loaded walk, trimming the deficit to 4-3 while leaving a major opportunity on the table.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, Freeman wasn’t finished.

One inning later, Freeman stepped to the plate and delivered the game-changing moment.

Freeman launched a two-run homer into the Dodger Stadium seats, his 12th home run of the season, flipping a one-run deficit into a 5-4 Dodgers lead.

Ric Tapia – The Sporting Tribune

Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his home run during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium on June 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

It was another example of Freeman doing what he has done throughout his Dodgers tenure, delivering when the moment matters most.

The bullpen took over from there, preserving the lead through the seventh and eighth before Vesia’s ninth-inning escape act completed the sweep.

The victory sends the Dodgers into Thursday’s off day with momentum firmly on their side. They have now won three straight games by a single run, improved to 48-27 overall, and maintained a commanding nine-game lead over the Padres in the National League West.

This wasn’t the cleanest victory of the season. Ohtani battled through adversity. The offense left opportunities on the table. Vesia flirted with disaster in the ninth.

Yet the result was the same. Freeman delivered. The bullpen held. And the Dodgers kept rolling.