Ohtani hits 15th homer as Dodgers beat Rays 1-0

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his 15th home run of the season and Justin Wrobleski threw six innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Ohtani hit a first-pitch solo home run off Drew Rasmussen in the sixth inning to break a scoreless game.

The home run to center field was just the cushion the left-handed Wrobleski (8-2) needed. Wrobleski allowed just three hits, stuck out five and walked none.

Tanner Scott earned his ninth save of the season after retiring the side in the ninth.

Rasmussen (6-3) pitched well, too, with his only blemish being the Ohtani home run. Rasmussen threw seven innings and allowed one run on six hits. He struck out seven.

Ohtani has been heating up at the plate, with four home runs in the last six games. He will not bat Wednesday but he is pitching for the first time since knee inflammation caused him to miss a game last week.

Ohtani was 1-for-4 Tuesday with two strikeouts.

The pitchers duel featured just one walk and moved at a rapid pace. The game finished in just 1 hour, 52 minutes.

Tampa Bay LHP Shane McClanahan (6-4, 3.23 ERA) faces Dodgers RHP Ohtani (6-2, 1.06), who is making his first pitching start since he missed a game with knee inflammation last week, on Wednesday afternoon.

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Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls fields a ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers' Andy Pages before throwing him out at first during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani hits a solo home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani gestures as he rounds second after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

This is the sun's time to shine: Sunday is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Sunday is the solstice, marking the start of astronomical summer north of the equator. It’s the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the shortest day of the year and winter will start.

The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words “sol,” for sun, and “stitium,” which can mean “pause” or “stop.” The summer solstice is the end of the sun’s annual march higher in the sky, when it makes its longest, highest arc. The bad news for sun lovers: It then starts retreating and days will get a little shorter every day until late December.

People have marked solstices for eons with festivals and monuments, including Sweden's midsummer eve celebrations and Stonehenge, which was designed to align with the sun’s paths at the solstices.

Here’s what to know about the Earth’s orbit.

As the Earth travels around the sun, it does so at an angle, making the sun’s warmth and light fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet for most of the year.

The solstices mark the times when the Earth is tipped most extremely either toward or away from the sun. This means the hemispheres are getting very different amounts of sunlight, and days and nights are at their most unequal.

At the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice, the Earth’s upper half is leaning toward the sun, creating the longest day and shortest night of the year. The summer solstice falls between June 20 and 22. This year it’s June 21.

The opposite happens at the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice: the Earth’s upper half leans the furthest away from the sun, leading to the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice falls between Dec. 20 and 23.

During the equinox, the Earth’s tilt is neither toward the sun nor away from the sun, so both the northern and southern hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight. The sun rises almost exactly due east and it sets almost exactly due west.

The word equinox comes from two Latin words meaning equal and night. That’s because on the equinox, day and night last almost the same amount of time — though one may get a few extra minutes, depending on where you are on the planet.

The Northern Hemisphere’s fall — or autumnal — equinox can land between Sept. 21 and 24, depending on the year. Its spring — or vernal — equinox can land between March 19 and 21. The exact time of the equinox is the moment the sun is directly overhead at the equator.

These are just two different ways to carve up the year.

While astronomical seasons depend on how the Earth moves around the sun, meteorological seasons are defined by the weather. Meteorologists break down the year into three-month seasons based on annual temperature cycles. By that calendar, spring starts on March 1, summer on June 1, fall on Sept. 1 and winter on Dec. 1.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

FILE - Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (19) and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., right, return to the dugout during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

FILE - Soccer fans sit on a bench overlooking Lumen Field stadium at sunset during the 2026 World Cup in Seattle, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

FILE - Revelers gather at the ancient stone circle Stonehenge to celebrate the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, near Salisbury, England, Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)