Ohtani breaks Matsui's home run record, Dodgers rout Mets 10-0 to end LA's skid, NY's win streak

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani broke Hideki Matsui's major league record for homers by a Japanese-born player with a huge two-run shot in the third inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers snapped their three-game skid with a 10-0 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday.

Ohtani crushed a 423-foot line drive off Adrian Houser (0-2) deep into the right-field bleachers for the two-time AL MVP's fifth homer of the year and the 176th of his six-plus seasons in the majors with the Angels and Dodgers. That eclipsed the record set by Matsui, the former New York Yankees slugger who played 10 seasons in North America.

“Honestly, I was just relieved I was able to get it over with,” Ohtani said through his interpreter.

Ohtani said Matsui's record was “not something I was cognizant of when I first started my career here, but as I got to know about it,” he began to pay attention to the numbers.

When Ohtani was asked if he also hopes to emulate Matsui's famed playoff poise if and when he finally reaches the MLB postseason, Ohtani joked that he's currently more focused on breaking manager Dave Roberts' record for the most homers by a Japanese-born player in a Dodgers uniform.

Roberts leads Ohtani 7-5 in that competition.

“Hideki Matsui was a great ballplayer, a great home run hitter, a world champion,” Roberts said. “I know that Shohei admired him, so for him to eclipse that mark, it's a big deal. I know whatever kind of mark is ahead of Shohei, he's trying to take them all down.”

Tyler Glasnow (4-1) struck out 10 and held New York to seven singles over eight strong innings while Los Angeles snapped the Mets’ six-game winning streak and salvaged the finale of a disappointing 3-6 homestand.

Andy Pages hit a three-run shot for his first career homer during the Dodgers' eight-run fifth inning. Freddie Freeman and Will Smith also delivered two-run doubles and Mookie Betts had an RBI single in the fifth.

“It's the first complete baseball game I can recall (by the Dodgers this season),” Roberts said. “We were clean defensively. I thought the at-bats were really good, especially the guys at the bottom of the order. ... And then obviously what Tyler did. Just overall, it was fun to just watch a clean baseball game.”

After winning 12 of 15 since their 0-5 start to the season, the Mets were shut out for the second time this year. New York had won eight of its previous nine.

Houser couldn’t control the Dodgers’ potent lineup, giving up seven runs on eight hits and four walks in his fourth start for his new team.

Los Angeles chased Houser with six straight batters reaching base in the fifth. After Betts drove in Pages, Ohtani singled off Houser’s leg before Freeman and Smith delivered back-to-back doubles.

“Just making too many mistakes,” Houser said. “Wasn't able to get in sync in that fifth inning. I need to be able to get some quick outs there and keep the team in the ballgame. These guys have been playing great, and I'm letting them down right now. Can't be doing that. Got to clean some things up.”

In his second at-bat of the inning, Pages put the Dodgers up 10-0 with a long drive to center off Grant Hartwig for his first homer in the 23-year-old Cuban outfielder's fifth major league game.

Glasnow then delivered the shutdown start needed by the Dodgers after they gave up 15 runs to the Mets in the previous two games. Working quickly and efficiently, the veteran right-hander became the first Dodgers starter to pitch into the eighth inning since Clayton Kershaw did it July 15, 2022.

Glasnow, who fell ill during a rocky start against Washington six days earlier, didn't walk a batter, didn't give up an extra-base hit and allowed just one Mets runner to reach second base before the eighth.

New York loaded the bases with three singles in the eighth, but Glasnow struck out pinch-hitter Tyrone Taylor to end the inning, pumping his fist to a standing ovation from the crowd of 49,287.

“(I was) having a good day, and then I think if I were to give up runs in the last inning, it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth,” Glasnow said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mets: LHP Brooks Raley went on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation. He had pitched just once since Monday. New York recalled Hartwig from Triple-A Syracuse. Raley said he had felt pain for “a few days,” but he feels confident in a quick return after getting a cortisone shot.

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler will make at least one more minor league rehab appearance, taking the mound Wednesday for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Buehler's control hasn't been sharp so far in his return to the mound from Tommy John surgery, so the Dodgers aren't committing to a return date for the longtime pillar of their starting rotation.

UP NEXT

Mets: José Quintana (1-1, 3.05 ERA) takes the mound Monday in San Francisco to open a three-game series.

Dodgers: James Paxton (2-0, 2.81 ERA) starts Tuesday at Washington to open a nine-game trip.

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

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is hit with sunflower seeds after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets in Los Angeles, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

New York Mets pitcher Adrian Houser (35) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, right, tags out New York Mets' Harrison Bader who was trying to steal second base during the third inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets in Los Angeles, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with Freddie Freeman (5) after they score on a two-run double by Will Smith during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets in Los Angeles, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates after his two-run home run in the dugout during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets in Los Angeles, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Lauren Coughlin held onto the lead Friday in the CPKC Women’s Open, while Canadian star Brooke Henderson was derailed by closing bogeys at windy and smokey Earl Grey Golf Club.

Coughlin followed her opening 4-under 68 on Thursday in chilly and windy conditions with a 70 on Friday to get to 6 under, a stroke ahead of Hannah Green and Haeran Ryu. The temperature made it into the 70s after barely climbing into the 60s on Thursday.

“I think I handled it really well overall,” Coughlin said. “It was just really difficult to judge how far the ball was going to go with the wind and the crosswind and how firm the greens got. And they had some tough pins, especially considering the direction of the wind.”

Playing through a smokey haze from wildfires, Henderson bogeyed the final four holes in her afternoon round for a 73 that left her seven strokes back at 1 over. She won the 2018 tournament.

“Most of the day I was 3 under, so feeling pretty great,” Henderson said. “To walk away 1 over, that’s not the best feeling. But all you can do is move forward and try to learn from some of the things you did out there.”

Coughlin is coming off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in France in the major Evian Champions. The 31-year-old former University of Virginia player is winless on the LPGA Tour.

On Friday, she had three front-none birdies and dropped a stroke on the par-4 11th. In two rounds, she's 7 under on the first nine holes and 1 over on the second nine.

“I putted extremely well,” Coughlin said. “Two-putted really well all day. Took advantage of the front nine, which you have to, and then kind of hold on on the back nine.”

Green matched Coughlin with a 70. The Australian is a two-time winner this year, taking the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore in February and the JM Eagle LA Championship in April.

“It was tough again out there,” Green said. “There was some pretty strong wind gusts, especially our last few holes, so committing to the shot you were envisioning was kind of difficult.”

Ryu bogeyed the 18th for 69.

“The weather is really bad,” Ryu said. “Is a little bit cold and so windy.”

The 23-year-old South Korean player won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last year for her first LPGA Tour title. She was second last week in Ohio in the Dana Open.

Three-time champion Lydia Ko had a 71 to join second-ranked Lilia Vu (70) and Jennifer Kupcho (72) at 3 under. Ko won as an amateur in 2012 at age 15, successfully defended her title as an amateur in 2013 and won as a professional in 2015.

“It’s not easy — and I think the scores are showing,” Ko said. “Anything kind of under par the past couple days is a really solid round. I’m pretty happy with the way I started this week.”

Kupcho topped the leaderboard at 8 under after birdieing five of the first eight holes in her morning round, then was 5 over the rest of the way. She had a double bogey on the par-4 16th, four bogeys and a birdie on her final nine holes.

“I’m pretty upset,” Kupcho said. “I think in hindsight I still hit 15 greens. Like I was hitting the ball really good. Three-putted 10 and 11 and four-putted 16. I didn’t play bad. Just had a couple shaky putts down the stretch — and that’s going to happen.”

Lexi Thompson was in the group with Henderson tied for 26th at 1 over after a 73 The American plans to play a limited schedule after this season.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Lexi Thompson, of the United States, chips on the first hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Jennifer Kupcho, of the United States, watches her tee shot on the fifteenth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Jennifer Kupcho, of the United States, lines up a putt on the fourteenth green during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

New Zealand's Lydia Ko hits a tee shot on the first hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Korea's Haeran Ryu hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada's Brooke Henderson hits a tee shot on the second hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Lauren Coughlin, of the United States, hits from the fairway on the sixth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Lauren Coughlin, of the United States, hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)