Oakland A’s second baseman Darrell Hernaiz (2) can’t make the catch as the Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani (17) steals second base in the ninth inning for his third stolen base of the game at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Aug 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Los Angeles Dodgers (64-47) tied the three-game series at one game apiece versus the Oakland Athletics (46-66) with an overwhelming 10-0 win in front of a large, mostly LA crowd..

More than 35,000 fans gathered into the Oakland Coliseum to see the Northern/Southern California battle on the diamond. The largest seat-fillers of the season came to see Shohei Ohtani who did not disappoint the Dodger faithful, as he had two hits, three stolen bases and an RBI. He joined the 30/30 club (homers/stolen bases) after his three swipes.

The game got off to a slow start, as neither team scored a run the first two innings. However, the Dodgers got on the scoreboard in the top of the third frame with two of their many runs.

Second baseman Gavin Lux sliced a two run single two leftfield, putting the visitors up 2-0. Cavan Biggio and Teoscar Hernandez both crossed the plate. That early action was the only scoring that happened most of the game, until later innings.

The Athletics best opportunity to score was in the bottom of the sixth inning. Oakland had the bases loaded with no outs. That scenario was orchestrated on an error, basehit and walk. It looked like the home team was going to come back, then blow the game open. Unfortunately, they had two ground outs and a strikeout, while no player scored a run. Absolutely a regrettable juncture of the game for the Athletics.

Two innings later the floodgates began to open for the Dodgers. In the top of the eighth inning Kike Hernandez drilled a RBI double to left, plating rightfielder Jason Heyward. The lead was 3-0, until center fieldr Andy Pages knocked in Hernandez on a single up the middle of the field.. After 7 1/2 innings, Dodgers 4, A’s 0.

The top of the ninth was the nail in the coffin, as Los Angeles added six more runs to their total. Amed Rosario replaced Lux and promptly belted an rbi single, scoring Ohtani. Catcher Will Smith’s RBI base hit added another tally to the scoreboard. Teoscar Hernandez made it home on that hit. Heyward followed that up with another RBI single, with Rosario scoring. Kike Hernandez knocked in Smith, making the score 8-0.

Mercilessly, the last two runs came on a wild pitch, with Heyward scoring, and Nick Ahmed’s single brought in Kike Hernandez for the final run. However, Kike was not finished.for the evening. When Hernandez took the field in the bottom of the ninth inning, he was positioned on the pitcher’s mound.

Hernandez not only survived, he preserved the shutout, and only gave up one hit. He capped off a night where he went 3-4, Double, Walk, two RBIs, and a scoreless inning from the bump. Although an impressive pitching line, he was not eligible for a save, Starter Jack Flarety (8-5) got credit for the win.

The two teams will play the rubber game to determine the winner of the series, Sunday Afternoon (1:07 PM PDT) here at the Coliseum. The projected starters will be Oakland’s RHP Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 5,00) vs. Dodgers’ RHP River Ryan (1-0, 0.82)