Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman lift Dodgers over Twins with standout relief performance from Eric Lauer

MINNEAPOLIS – When Eric Lauer was on the Toronto Blue Jays, he said he “hated” pitching behind an opener.So what did the Dodgers have him do on Monday?You guess it: They had him pitch behind an opener.Only this time, the results were different.They were better.Replacing opener Will Klein after one inning, Lauer pitched six no-hit innings in a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.Pitching through the seventh inning, Lauer departed the game with a 2-1 lead the Dodgers built on solo home runs by Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.Before the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Lauer was “all-in’” on the plan to deploy him behind reliever Will Klein.Roberts made it a point to alert Lauer about how he would be used after the Dodgers’ series finale against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday in Los Angeles.“I just laid it out there,” Roberts said.“He received it very well. “All players want, they want some clarity.

I think for us he’s going to go into the game in the second inning, so he can do his preparation and be consistent with that.”Ironically, the only problem with the plan turned out to be the inning pitch by the opener.The second hitter of the game, Byron Buxton, homered off him to tie the game, 1-1.What it meansThis was potentially a costly game for the Dodgers.Kyle Tucker drew a walk in the second inning and advanced on a single by Tommy Edman, only to appear to be in obvious discomfort once he reached second base.The Dodgers later announced Tucker was removed from the game with lower back spasms.

The injury could be a major blow for Tucker, who is batting .234 in his first 75 games with the Dodgers.But Tucker wasn’t the only player to go down.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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