Dodgers use long balls to finish the sweep

On August 12, 2026, in Los Angeles, California, the Los Angeles Dodgers secured a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals in a four-game sweep. The winning margin was a result of three long balls hit by the Dodgers, which proved crucial in overcoming the Royals' two early leads. Despite the Royals' efforts, they were unable to score in the first inning and had to rely on a rally in the second inning, led by Tyler Tolbert's walk and single.

However, the Dodgers' Daniel Lynch struck out the side in the bottom of the first and looked poised to continue the momentum. The third inning saw the Royals' first base runner, Jac Caglianone, advance to second base on a throw wide of Mookie Betts, who then smashed a solo home run to left center, tying the game at 1-1. The Dodgers regained the lead in the bottom of the third when Shohei Ohtani hit a long blast, giving them a 3-2 advantage.

Lynch was replaced by Jose Cuas in the bullpen, and he contributed to the Dodgers' victory by getting out of the inning. Mason Black then took the mound in the fifth for the Royals, facing Hunter Feduccia who hit a three-run homer, extending the Dodgers' lead to 4-2. Despite Eric Lauer's strong performance, he pitched 107 pitches over five innings and was replaced by Landon Knack.

Luke Maile finished the game in the bottom of the sixth. The Royals, however, were unable to find runs and extended their two-game deficit. Craig Kimbrel made his debut for the Royals in the eighth inning, but it was too late as the Dodgers had secured a sweep.