leadoff

Shohei Ohtani scored in the first inning on a leadoff single, a steal of second base and an RBI single from Freddie Freeman.

Then, in what felt like a game-sealing sequence, Teoscar Hernández followed Freeman’s leadoff walk in the fifth with a sky-high two-run blast to left — making it 5-0 with his team-leading ninth long ball of the season and fourth in the last five games.

For all the other talent on their roster, so much of the Dodgers’ success still depends on their leadoff man.

He couldn’t, giving up a leadoff double and then a walk-off two-run home run to Adolis García for a 4-3 loss at Globe Life Field.

That reality said more about the rest of the team’s offense than its superstar leadoff man.