Homers from Ohtani and Betts power Dodgers to a 4-2 victory and a sweep of the Royals

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Hunter Feduccia homered, and the revitalized Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Kansas City Royals with a 4-2 victory Wednesday night.

Freddie Freeman stayed in the game for LA after a scary moment in the eighth inning when he fell down the Royals’ dugout stairs while trying to catch Isaac Collins’ foul popup. Tommy Edman then pinch-hit for Freeman in the bottom of the eighth.

Eric Lauer pitched 6 1/3 innings of four-hit ball for the back-to-back defending World Series champions, who have won four of five after emerging from a seven-game skid that began around the trade deadline.

Ohtani’s two-run, go-ahead drive in the third was the four-time MVP’s 27th homer of the season and his first in a week. The formerly slumping Betts had two hits and a walk, giving him 11 hits in his past seven games.

Lauer (7-6) yielded one earned run and struck out six in his longest start of the season, throwing 112 pitches. The left-hander is expected to lose his rotation spot when Tyler Glasnow or Ohtani return to the mound soon, but he has revived his career after being dumped by Toronto in May.

Salvador Perez drove in an early run before leaving in the sixth with right elbow aggravation for the Royals, who have lost four straight and 10 of 13.

Daniel Lynch IV (4-4) didn't get through the third inning of his second turn in Kansas City's starting rotation, throwing just 39 pitches before getting chased by Ohtani's homer.

Feduccia's solo shot in the fifth was the catcher's third career homer and first since returning to the Dodgers from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline.

Landon Knack pitched the final 2 2/3 innings after being recalled from the minors earlier in the day, preserving the Dodgers’ taxed bullpen. He earned his third major league save and first this season.

Seth Lugo (5-7, 4.41 ERA) pitches for the Royals on Friday in Anaheim to open a weekend series with the Angels.

Roki Sasaki (5-5, 4.54 ERA) takes the Chavez Ravine mound Thursday when the Dodgers open a spotlight four-game series with the MLB-leading Brewers.

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