Dodgers Pitcher Credits Dalton Rushing for Getting Him Out of 'Mess'

The Los Angeles Dodgers survived Shohei Ohtani's worst statistical start of the 2026 season on Wednesday, eking out a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Dodgers star first baseman Freddie Freeman displayed his knack for clutch at-bats, launching a 407-foot home run that just barely escaped the reach of Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins.

Freddie Freeman crushes a go-ahead 2 run homer! 😤 pic.twitter.com/hLkVpz9Utl
— MLB (@MLB) June 17, 2026

Freeman wasn't the only hero of the game, though.

Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia had a shoutout for catcher Dalton Rushing after a shaky ninth inning threatened the Dodgers' lead.

Of his first five batters faced, Vesia walked three, including an intentional walk of star designated hitter Yandy Diaz.

Mullins had a chance to tie the game, or take a lead, before Vesia struck him out with an 84-mph slider that secured the Dodgers' third-straight win.

“I put myself into that mess,” Vesia said to reporters after the game. “[Dalton Rushing] and I were just — I was leaning on him, to be honest. He had some good words of encouragement during a couple meetings. Just trust my stuff. I felt like I was nibbling around the edge.

"Overall, I’ll take it. It was a good win for all of us.”

The Dodgers sweep the Rays. They won all three games by one run.

The Dodgers bullpen pitched nine shutout innings this series. Alex Vesia was hyped to close it out.

The Dodgers are a season-high 21 games above .500 (48-27). pic.twitter.com/h6cw2v28Wq
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) June 17, 2026

Rushing has made headlines many times this year for all the wrong reasons. However, internally, the Dodgers have continued to praise the young backstop, both for his play and his accountability.

Earlier this week, Rushing took responsibility for the Dodgers' loss to the Chicago White Sox, saying he was "exposed" by them in his pitch calling.

“They made a few adjustments as an offense and exposed me personally," the young catcher said.

Rushing has seen an increased role with starting catcher Will Smith landing on the 10-day injured list with a neck injury.

The 25-year-old is enjoying a much stronger season than his rookie campaign in 2025, with a .264 batting average, a .869 OPS, eight homes runs and 21 RBIs.

The return of his counterpart, Smith, is still unclear, although Dodgers manager offered an update on Wednesday.

“I don’t want to put a say on when he’s going to play,” Roberts said. “But each day is getting better.”

Roberts said Smith wouldn't be back when he's eligible on Friday, giving Rushing more runway as the starting catcher.

Dave Roberts, Dalton Rushing Discuss Shohei Ohtani's Pitching Performance

Both Roberts and Rushing also offered insight into Ohtani's performance.

Ohtani gave up season highs in both runs and hits allowed, conceding four runs in an uncharacteristic fifth inning. In addition to fighting through lingering soreness in his left knee, a bleeding blister on his throwing hand opened up during the game.

“The stuff was good,” Roberts said. “The sweeper wasn’t as lights out, swing and miss as we’ve seen. He still always finds a way to manage innings and make pitches when he needs to, but yeah, I mean, I think that he was still kind of working through some delivery stuff with the knee.”

Ohtani, who also pinch-hit in the sixth inning for infielder Miguel Rojas, gave a positive update on his health after the game.

"I felt good overall,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “It’s just really that inning, that fifth inning, that I wasn’t really too pleased. But aside from that, the stuff was good and felt pretty good overall.”

Per usual, Rushing took some responsibility for Ohtani's struggles.

"Obviously I think I can build a little better relationship moving forward, based off what has happened," he said. "Whether we get hit around here, hit around there, I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. I think it’s just a learning lesson for both of us.”

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