Dodgers Lose to Braves as Ohtani's Homer Drought Continues
Listen to the story
The Los Angeles Dodgers lost a postseason baseball game to the Atlanta Braves. The two teams now have one win each in the series, which is tied at 1-1.
The Dodgers lost because of mistakes in their defense. Poor defense allowed the Braves to take the lead and win the match.
Shohei Ohtani, a star player for the Dodgers, got a hit in the game. This was his second straight game with a hit, which is a positive sign for him.
However, Ohtani has still not hit a home run in his last 94 at-bats. This long gap without a home run has become a talking point among fans.
Roki Sasaki, another Dodgers player, pitched in this postseason for the first time this year. He came into the game as a relief pitcher.
Sasaki pitched two innings without allowing any runs. A scoreless outing like this is seen as a strong result for a pitcher in a big game.
Sasaki has had a difficult second year in Major League Baseball. Reports say that data shows he has made real progress this season, even though it has been a hard year overall.
After earlier struggles, Sasaki is now being used again as a relief pitcher during the postseason, a role that suits his recent form.
Vocabulary10 words
- Dodgers
- a baseball team from Los Angeles
- postseason
- important games played after the normal season
- tied
- equal in score or wins
- defense
- the part of play that stops the other team scoring
- home run
- a very big hit that scores a run easily
- at-bats
- turns a player gets to hit the ball
- relief pitcher
- a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher
- innings
- the separate parts into which a baseball game is divided
- Major League
- the top level of professional baseball in the US
- progress
- improvement over time
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. The series is tied 1-1 2. Because of mistakes in defense 3. He pitched two scoreless innings
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Los Angeles Dodgers lost a postseason baseball game to the Atlanta _____.
The two teams now have one win each in a series that is _____ at 1-1.
The Dodgers lost because of mistakes in their _____.
Shohei Ohtani got a hit in the game, his second straight game with a _____.
Ohtani has still not hit a _____ in his last 94 at-bats.
This long gap without a home run has become a talking point among _____.
Roki Sasaki pitched in this postseason for the first time this _____.
He came into the game as a _____ pitcher.
Sasaki pitched two innings without allowing any _____.
Reports say that data shows he has made real _____ this season.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think fans pay close attention to a player's home run drought like Ohtani's?
- What skills do you think a relief pitcher needs compared to a starting pitcher?
- How important is defense compared to hitting in winning a baseball game?
- Have you ever followed a sports series where the result changed suddenly? What happened?
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
