Oakland A’s hit 3 HRs but can’t beat Dodgers in LA series opener

By BETH HARRIS, AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The A’s hit three three home runs off Lance Lynn in his Dodgers debut, but  Mookie Betts hit his 28th homer and Los Angeles beat Oakland 7-3 on Tuesday night.

“We won, so it was good. That’s all that matters,” Lynn said. “Whenever you come to a new team, you want to make a good impression.”

Traded last week by the Chicago White Sox, Lynn retired the first seven batters he faced. But he soon surrendered his 29th, 30th and 31st homers of the season.

Zack Gelof went deep in the sixth. Brent Rooker homered on Lynn’s first pitch of the seventh. One out later, Jordan Diaz’s solo shot pulled the A’s to 4-3 in their first visit to Dodger Stadium since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Lynn (7-9) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked one while eating up precious innings for a team that needs its starters to go deep to preserve the bullpen.

“It’s been quite some time since we had a starter get through seven,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s what we needed.”

Lynn was 6-9 with a 6.47 ERA and 144 strikeouts for the White Sox before he and reliever Joe Kelly were dealt to the NL West-leading Dodgers, who sought to bolster their pitching over the final 1 1/2 months of the regular season.

“He’s open to getting better,” Roberts said. “We got to learn him and he’s got to learn us.”

Freddie Freeman went 4 for 5 with two runs and an RBI in the Dodgers’ 60th victory of the season. He had a double, three singles and stole his 14th base. Will Smith struck out four times in a game for the second time in his career. Chris Taylor walked four times.

Freeman was impressed with Lynn’s debut.

“Bulldog competitor, wants the ball, doesn’t want to come out of games,” he said. “He still has really good stuff. It’s nice to have him on our side.”

The Dodgers tacked on two runs in the seventh for a 6-3 lead. Betts homered 394 feet off Freddy Tarnok. Sam Long came in and surrendered a bases-loaded walk to James Outman that forced in Freeman.

Kiké Hernández, who was traded from Boston last week, had a three-run double that highlighted a four-run fourth. Freeman singled leading off before Ken Waldichuk (2-7) struck out Smith and Amed Rosario.

Waldichuk then loaded the bases on consecutive walks to Max Muncy and Chris Taylor. The left-hander unleashed a big, slow breaking ball that hit Outman and forced in Freeman for the Dodgers’ first run.

Hernández doubled to left, driving in Muncy, Taylor and Outman for a 4-0 lead.