For the second straight game, Texas Rangers reliever David Robertson struck out Los Angeles Dodgers stars Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman in the same inning.
David Robertson is the only pitcher this season to strike out Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in succession.
— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2024
He's done it in back-to-back games. pic.twitter.com/5RRl51XBB8
"It's a huge deal," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said postgame, according to MLB.com's Kennedi Landry. "Yeah, I mean, two nights in a row, they just saw him and he's got to go through them again. He just nailed the location. The curveball was terrific these last two nights, it was a big pitch for him. He's got so much poise out there. He's a pro. He's not going to panic and he turned it up a notch when he had to."
Robertson put the first two runners on in the bottom of the eighth inning before settling down to strike out each of Betts, Ohtani, and Freeman to keep the score 3-1 in favor of the Rangers. Texas eventually won by that same score, securing its first series win in Los Angeles since 1999.
"It's fun when it's over," Robertson said.
Robertson has been a strong addition to the Rangers' bullpen in his first season with the club. The 39-year-old owns a 2-3 record with a 3.19 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts across 31 innings.
