Ohtani hits 3-run homer in 9th to cap Dodgers' wild comeback in 14-11 win over Diamondbacks

PHOENIX (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run ninth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a wild 14-11 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

The Dodgers trailed 11-8 entering the ninth inning after blowing an early five-run lead.

Andy Pages and Kiké Hernández hit consecutive run-scoring doubles to open the ninth inning against Kevin Ginkel (0-1). Max Muncy tied it at 11-all with a run-scoring single and Ryan Thompson replaced Ginkel to face Ohtani.

It didn’t go well.

Ohtani, who doubled twice, fell into a 1-2 hole before launching his 12th homer near the pool deck in right to put the Dodgers up 14-11. He finished with four RBIs.

Tanner Scott worked a perfect ninth save in 11 chances.

The Dodgers roughed up Eduardo Rodriguez to take an 8-3 lead through three innings, but couldn't hold it.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a tying grand slam in the fifth inning, then Ketel Marte and Randal Grichuk hit solo shots off Alex Vesia (1-0) in the eighth to put Arizona up 11-8.

Pages finished with three RBIs and Hernández extended the Dodgers' homer streak to 13 straight games with a solo shot in the second inning.

Marte homered twice for the Diamondbacks. Rodriguez allowed eight runs on nine hit in 2 2/3 innings

Ohtani has a knack for coming through in big moments and sure had one against the Diamondbacks with his three-run homer in the ninth.

The Diamondbacks hit grand slams in consecutive games for the second time in team history after Gabriel Moreno hit one Thursday. Arizona also did it against the Dodgers in 2011, by Ryan Roberts and Cole Gillespie.

Dodgers RHP Dusty May (1-2, 4.36 ERA) faces Diamondbacks RHP Corbin Burnes (1-1, 3.58) in the third game of the series on Saturday.

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

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, celebrates a three run home run against for the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 9, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, celebrates a three run home run against for the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 9, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., left, pumps is fist after hitting a grand slam off of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Anthony Banda, right, during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 9, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani hits a double against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 9, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates a three run home run against for the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 9, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets fired coach Dean Evason and named hockey-lifer Rick Bowness as his replacement on Monday.

Evason is the first NHL coach fired this season. General manager Don Waddell announced the abrupt change with his team sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference 45 games into the season with a record of 19-19-7.

“This season has been a frustrating one for all of us and the bottom line is we are not performing at a level that meets our expectations," Waddell said. "We all share in that responsibility, me included, and while this was not a decision that was made lightly, it is one that needed to be made at this time. Dean did a tremendous job last year under extremely difficult circumstances, and I thank him for that."

Assistant Steve McCarthy, who had been with the organization for nearly a decade, was also fired.

Bowness is back in the league after he retired in the spring of 2024, ending a stint with the Winnipeg Jets. Bowness, who coached Dallas to the Stanley Cup Final in the 2020 pandemic bubble, turns 71 on Jan. 25.

“Rick Bowness is a tremendous coach with invaluable experience and knowledge, and he will bring a steadiness to our team at an important juncture in our season,” Waddell said. “He is a good communicator whose teams play with structure, are sound defensively and we believe he is the right person to bring out the best in our group.”

Bowness during his lengthy career has been head coach for seven different teams, dating to the original Jets in 1988. He did some broadcasting with TNT since stepping away from his most recent job in Winnipeg.

Evason was just past the midway point of his second season in charge of the Blue Jackets. Waddell’s first order of business upon becoming GM was to fire then-coach Pascal Vincent and put Evason behind the bench.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

FILE - Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness yells during the first period of Game 4 of an NHL Stanley Cup first-round playoff series April 28, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Columbus Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason watches his team during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)