Dino Ebel waved his arm. Shohei Ohtani churned his legs.
For a brief moment, as Ohtani barreled down the third base line, trying to score a tying run all the way from first base, it seemed like the Dodgers’ two-way star would make it.
Instead, in the defining moment of the Minnesota Twins’ 3-2 win at Target Field on Wednesday, their defense turned a picture-perfect relay play.
When the juggernaut Dodgers lose games this year, it will likely often be because they get beat in the margins.
Read more: Tyler Glasnow strikes out 14 as Dodgers defeat the Twins
Sometimes it might come down to an underwhelming starting pitching performance. Other times, a bullpen blunder or bang-bang baserunning.
In Wednesday’s series finale, the Twins capitalized upon all three — stressing Bobby Miller in a four-inning, two-run start; taking the lead on an Edouard Julien home run against reliever Alex Vesia in the fifth; then holding on despite a couple late-game scares, none bigger than their tag-out of Ohtani at home plate.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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