MINNEAPOLIS — On a night when Shohei Ohtani won his sixth straight decision, Mookie Betts stole the show as the Dodgers completed a sweep of the Minnesota Twins.
Betts had three hits, including his 300th career home run, and made a handful of dazzling defensive plays on Wednesday to help propel the Dodgers to a 4-3 victory.
The Dodgers pushed their major league-leading win total to 52 at the halfway mark of the season. But it didn’t come without a dose of angst. Ohtani and catcher Dalton Rushing were not on the same page in the first two innings, and although Ohtani recovered to complete six innings, the postgame focus was on the second inning, when the Twins scored all three of their runs.
In that inning, Minnesota loaded the bases with one out on three singles. Then, with No. 9 hitter Ryan Kreidler at the plate, Ohtani and Rushing got crossed up on a pitch that went to the backstop. It was ruled a passed ball and it allowed the tying run to score. Then Kreidler singled through a drawn-in infield to drive in two runs for a 3-1 lead.
After the inning, an emotional Rushing got pep talks in the dugout from Manager Dave Roberts and first baseman Freddie Freeman. Ohtani took over calling pitches in the next inning and struck out the side, the first of four straight scoreless frames to close out his outing.
“There’s really a couple ways of communicating, and one is by words, but the other way, to be able to communicate is by example, and just taking charge and showing Rush the pitching I’m capable of,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “In an ideal world, where I want to be is for both of us to pitch in and really be able to shine, because we have very different talents.”
Rushing, who returned to the lineup after missing most of the previous two games with concussion symptoms, went 0 for 4 at the plate, struck out three times, and clearly was unhappy with his performance.
“I thought [Ohtani] did a good job. I didn’t do a great job, start to finish,” Rushing said. “Thankfully, he’s as good as he is and he can take control of the game. But it’s pretty embarrassing.”
Rushing has caught Ohtani’s last three starts in place of injured three-time All-Star Will Smith, and the numbers speak for themselves. In 18⅔ innings with Rushing behind the plate, Ohtani has pitched to a 4.34 ERA. With Smith catching him, he has an 0.74 ERA in 61 innings this season.
“It’s a work in progress,” Roberts said of the Rushing-Ohtani work relationship. “[Rushing] wants to do really well and expects a lot of himself. And so when he’s not doing what he expects, then he gets frustrated.”
Rushing appreciated the support he received from his teammates and manager, but even that came with a side order of angst.
“It’s great that they always have my back,” he said. “But it’s embarrassing that I need support like that. I’m a grown man. It’s a pretty tough pill to swallow on both sides of the ball.”
Betts got the scoring started when he led off the second inning with a long home run to left field off Twins All-Star right-hander Joe Mays.
After the Twins took a 3-1 lead, the Dodgers responded immediately with a three-spot of their own in the third inning. Ohtani and Max Muncy had RBI singles and Alex Call’s sacrifice fly drove in the eventual winning run.
Betts made a big impact with his defense in the fourth when he lunged to grab Kreidler’s chopper up the middle and threw a strike to first base, stranding two runners in scoring position.
“That’s two runs right there, and you just don’t know what the game’s gonna present after that,” Roberts said. “Mookie played a complete ballgame. He’s played the heck out of shortstop all year, and hits are starting to fall. … But even when he’s been scuffling, the defense hasn’t wavered, and he’s helping us win a lot of baseball games.”
The Dodgers’ relievers made it interesting as they tried to protect a one-run lead. Kyle Hurt walked two runners in the seventh before retiring All-Star Byron Buxton on an infield fly to end the inning. Alex Vesia gave up consecutive two-out singles in the eighth, but he left those runners stranded when he struck out Brooks Lee. And in the ninth, Tanner Scott gave up a leadoff single before retiring the next three in order, including a strikeout of Buxton to end the game.
Up next is a three-game series in San Diego starting Friday night. And Roberts doesn’t expect any frustration or discord to linger between his star pitcher and young catcher.
“If there’s ever any doubt, the pitcher always has the right of last refusal and can call his own game,” Roberts said. “I think once we decide to do that, then it was pretty clean after that.”
“They always have my back. It’s embarrassing that I need support like that… Hasn’t been great as of late. I’m gonna be better.”
Dalton Rushing (0-4, 3 K) talks with the media after the #Dodgers 4-3 win over the Twins. pic.twitter.com/iXGMn6kXHS
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 25, 2026
“I just took the initiative to really gameplan and have a plan of attack for each hitter.”
Shohei Ohtani (W (8-2), 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 8 K, 89 P; 2-5, RBI, R) talks with the media after the #Dodgers 4-3 win in Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/eEIueIy2sr
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 25, 2026
Dave Roberts addresses the media after the #Dodgers 4-3 win in Minnesota for the series sweep. pic.twitter.com/2NGRb2N8uT
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 25, 2026
“Just gotta keep helping the boys win.”
Mookie Betts (3-4, HR (9), 2B, RBI) talks with @kirsten_watson after the #Dodgers sweep the Twins, winning 4-3. pic.twitter.com/VR14648aDR
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 25, 2026