Edman hits leadoff HR filling in for Ohtani and Yamamoto strikes out 10 as Dodgers beat Texas 3-0

By: Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press Posted: 9:39 PM CDT Friday, Apr. 18, 2025

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto matched his career high with 10 strikeouts over seven innings after Tommy Edman led off the game with a home run and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Texas Rangers 3-0 on Friday night.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/04/2025 (203 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Los Angeles was without superstar Shohei Ohtani, who remained in California with his wife and was put on MLB’s paternity list for the birth of his first child.

With Ohtani absent, Edman moved into the leadoff spot and went deep on the second pitch of the game thrown by two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom (0-1). It was Edman’s seventh homer.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Tommy Edman (25) connects for a leadoff home run on the second pitch of the game by Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 18, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Yamamoto (3-1) held Texas to five hits and walked none in the opener of a three-game series matching the last two World Series champions.

DeGrom struck out seven and walked one in seven innings. The right-hander allowed only two singles after Edman’s homer, one of those to Edman leading off the sixth inning before he was caught stealing.

Kirby Yates, the Texas closer last season, and Tanner Scott each pitched an inning to close out the Dodgers’ second shutout this season. Scott finished it for his seventh save in eight chances despite allowing two singles.

Key moment

Texas had runners at second and third base in the third when Joc Pederson had an inning-ending groundout. Pederson, part of the 2020 World Series title with the Dodgers in the last of his seven seasons with them, is hitless in his last 36 at-bats and hitting .057 in his first season with Texas.

Key stat

Texas, shut out for only the second time this season, had its nine-game home winning streak snapped. The Rangers hadn’t lost at home since their season opener against the Chicago Cubs on March 27.

Up next

Rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki (0-1, 3.29 ERA) makes his fifth start for the Dodgers in the middle game of the series Saturday. Nathan Eovaldi (1-2, 2.55) goes for Texas.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB