Major League Baseball
LA Dodgers 11, Texas 5
When: 8:05 PM ET, Friday, July 21, 2023
Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
Temperature: Indoors
Umpires: Home - Edwin Jimenez, 1B - Pat Hoberg, 2B - Nestor Ceja, 3B - Brian O'Nora
Attendance: 39808

The Los Angeles Dodgers, playing their first game at the site of their 2020 World Series championship, rallied for an 11-5 victory over the Texas Rangers to open a three-game series Friday in Arlington, Texas.

The Dodgers were led by three-RBI nights by Freddie Freeman and J.D. Martinez, a couple dazzling catches by center fielder Jonny Deluca and a bullpen that allowed one run over the final four innings. Reliever Ryan Brasier (2-0) earned the win by getting the final two outs of the sixth.

The Dodgers took control, and a 6-5 lead, with two runs in the seventh.

After loading the bases with no outs, Martinez drew a six-pitch walk to tie the game off Rangers reliever Alex Speas (0-1). The Dodgers scored the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice groundout by Max Muncy off Cody Bradford.

The Dodgers pulled away with three runs in the eighth. Will Smith had a two-run double and Martinez had an RBI single. They added two more runs in the ninth on a double by Mookie Betts.

Playing his first game against his former team, Rangers shortstop Corey Seager went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, but he exited in the eighth inning with a sprained right thumb. Seager was hurt diving headfirst into second base on a double.

Manager Bruce Bochy said after the game that X-rays on Seager, who was named an All-Star this season for the fourth time in his career, were negative, and he is day to day.

It had been a back-and-forth affair over the first six innings.

The Rangers grabbed a 2-0 lead on an opposite-field home run to left field by Nathaniel Lowe in the first inning. The Dodgers scored three runs in the third for a 3-2 lead, including a two-run double by Freeman.

Texas jumped back in front 4-3 with two runs in the fourth, and Los Angeles tied it at 4-4 on a solo home run by Freeman in the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, Deluca stole the show with a couple of highlight-reel catches. He made a diving catch in left-center field to take away an extra-base hit by Leody Taveras. Then, he closed the inning with a leaping grab to rob Rangers leadoff man Marcus Semien of what would have been his 200th career home run.

Texas responded the next inning, taking a 5-4 lead on a solo shot by Seager. But the Rangers didn't have answers in the final three innings.

Both starters -- Andrew Heaney of the Rangers and Tony Gonsolin of the Dodgers -- allowed four runs over five innings.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
LA Dodgers   Texas
Tony Gonsolin Player Andrew Heaney
No Decision W/L No Decision
5.0 IP 5.0
6 Strikeouts 3
2 Hits 5
7.20 ERA 7.20
Hitting
LA Dodgers   Texas
Freddie Freeman Player Corey Seager
2 Hits 2
3 RBI 1
1 HR 1
6 TB 6
.500 Avg .667
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
LA Dodgers 13 1 20 .351 25 8 11 8 1 0
Texas 4 2 12 .154 6 7 5 8 0 0