Ohtani hits 11th homer and Buehler returns as Dodgers defeat Marlins 6-3 for 4th straight win

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani launched his fourth home run in three games and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Miami Marlins 6-3 on Monday night in Walker Buehler's first major league start in nearly two years.

Ohtani became the first big leaguer to reach 11 homers this season when he crushed an elevated fastball from Roddery Muñoz (1-1) and sent it 441 feet into the center-field netting for a two-run shot in the first inning that tied the score 2-all.

It is the eighth time in Ohtani's career he has homered in three straight games, and the fourth time he's hit four in a three-game span.

“All the balls that he’s driving are in his nitro zone. If they don’t throw it there, he takes his base. And if they do, he’s ready to fire,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So, he’s getting hits, he’s driving in runs, and now he’s slugging. It's a result of controlling the strike zone.”

Two pitches after Ohtani’s homer, Freddie Freeman followed with a solo shot to left-center, the first time the Dodgers had gone back-to-back this season.

“I’m just glad we got the lead back. You want to be able to do that as an offense, fight back and let Walker breathe a little bit in his first start back,” Freeman said.

James Outman and Teoscar Hernández also went deep as the Dodgers won their fourth straight.

Nick Gordon homered as the Marlins lost for the third time in four games on their West Coast trip.

Buehler went four innings, allowing three runs and six hits with four strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches, 49 for strikes.

It was his first start in the majors since June 10, 2022. The two-time All-Star had his second Tommy John surgery in August that year. He was 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA in six minor league starts this season, mostly at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Roberts said before the game the right-hander's pitch count would be anywhere from 80 to 85.

“I was kind of tiring myself out the first couple innings before I settled in there,” Buehler said. “I wish it would have gone better and thrown five or six shutout innings, but it's done and I'm glad to be back.”

Ryan Yarbrough (3-1) followed Buehler with three innings of one-hit ball, and Alex Vesia worked the ninth for his first save.

Buehler showed some early nerves as the first two batters reached base and the Marlins scored twice in the first on RBI singles by by Bryan De La Cruz and Jesús Sánchez. Nick Gordon’s leadoff homer in the second tied it 3-all before Buehler settled down.

Gavin Lux led off the second with a walk before Outman homered to right-center to put the Dodgers up 5-3.

Hernández's solo shot in the third marked the second time in three games the Dodgers hit at least four homers.

Muñoz went 4 2/3 innings in his third career start and allowed six runs on seven hits with four walks and five strikeouts.

“I’m guessing maybe the nerves took over a little bit,” Marlins manager Skip Schumacher said. “It’s a team that’s going to hit. They walk and they slug, that’s what they do. If you get behind them and give them free passes they are going to make you pay.”

TRAINER'S ROOM

Marlins: INF Jake Burger was activated after missing 20 games due to a left intercostal muscle strain and went 0 for 4. INF Jonah Bride was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville.

Dodgers: RHP Joe Kelly was placed on the injured list with a right posterior shoulder strain. ... OF Jason Heyward (lower back tightness) took batting practice, but it will not be decided until at least Thursday when he might start a rehab stint.

UP NEXT

Miami RHP Edward Cabrera (1-1, 6.05 ERA) faces RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-1, 2.91) in the middle game of the series.

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

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani singles during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Miami Marlins' Jazz Chisholm Jr., left, steals second base ahead of a tag by Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux (9) during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Roddery Muñoz throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Miami Marlins' Nick Gordon (1) celebrates with Vidal Bruján after hitting a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández celebrates with Mookie Betts (50) after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. Mookie Betts also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' James Outman celebrates after hitting a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. Gavin Lux also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani singles during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani waits for a pitch during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia reported some 60 drones and several missiles shot down over its territory overnight into Sunday, with Ukraine in turn saying it destroyed over 30 Russian drones. Russia’s renewed offensive continues to play out in Ukraine’s war-ravaged northeast.

Russian air defenses shot down 57 Ukrainian drones over its southern Krasnodar region overnight Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday morning.

Local military officials said drone debris hit an oil refinery in the town of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, but there was no fire or damage. Local news outlet Astra published videos appearing to show an explosion at the refinery as it was hit by a drone. The videos could not be independently verified.

Nine long-range ballistic missiles and a drone were destroyed over the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula, following Friday morning’s massive Ukrainian drone attack that cut off power in the city of Sevastopol.

A further three drones were shot down over the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. According to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov, a church roof was set on fire by falling drone debris, but there were no casualties.

The Russian-installed governor of Ukraine's partially occupied Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said that one person died and 16 were wounded when a Ukrainian drone hit a minibus on Sunday morning.

In Ukraine, air force officials said air defense shot down all 37 Russian drones launched against the country overnight.

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, where Moscow recently launched a new offensive, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Sunday morning that one person died and 11 were wounded as a result of shelling over the previous day.

Ukrainian troops are fighting to halt Russian advances in the Kharkiv region that began late last week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday during a visit to China that Moscow’s offensive in the Kharkiv region aims to create a buffer zone but that there are no plans to capture the city.

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Morton reported from London.

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Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov and Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov during their meeting at the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Ukrainian police officers look for fragments of a glide bomb in front of damaged house after a Russian airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian police officer and war crime prosecutor inspect fragments of a glide bomb in front of damaged house, after a Russian airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)