García's Late Heroics Deny Sasaki His First Win as Rangers Edge Dodgers

ARLINGTON (AP) - Adolis García delivered a clutch two-run homer off former Texas closer Kirby Yates in the ninth inning, propelling the Rangers to a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

This marked García's fourth home run of the season and it came just in time to prevent Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki from claiming his first major league win. The 23-year-old right-hander showcased his skills by pitching six solid innings, the longest outing of his five-game MLB career.

In a nail-biting moment, Josh Smith nearly tied the game against Yates (1-1) when he just missed a homer, sending a ball foul down the right field line by mere feet. However, he quickly bounced back, slapping a double before García launched a 394-foot drive into the left-field seats.

The Dodgers were missing their two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who celebrated the birth of his first child—a girl—during the game. Manager Dave Roberts also shared the joyous news during an in-game interview on national television.

Despite the absence of Ohtani, the defending champions seemed poised for a 2-0 series lead against the past two World Series winners before García's dramatic blast turned the tide.

Sasaki did allow a two-run homer to Kyle Higashioka in the third inning but managed to limit the damage, giving up just two hits overall. He walked three batters and struck out four, demonstrating his potential despite the setback.

Freddie Freeman contributed to the Dodgers' offense with a tying two-run homer in the fourth inning, and Max Muncy later put the Dodgers ahead with a two-out ground rule double in the same inning.

On the other side, Jacob Webb (2-0) was impressive for Texas, pitching two scoreless innings to help secure the win.

In a standout defensive play, LA center fielder Andy Pages made a leaping catch in front of the Dodgers' bullpen, robbing Corey Seager of what would have been a solo homer in the first inning.

Yates, who recorded 33 saves for the Rangers last season, is still searching for his first save with the Dodgers this year, marking his first blown save of the season.

Looking ahead, LA right-hander Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.85 ERA) is set to face Texas righty Tyler Mahle (3-0, 0.92). Mahle currently leads the American League with a .121 opponent batting average and 3.66 hits allowed per nine innings, ranking third in ERA.