Ohtani Shines with a Solid Performance on the Mound
On an unexpected night, Shohei Ohtani shone on the mound for 3⅔ innings without allowing runs. The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher took the place of Tyler Glasnow, who was ruled out due to back discomfort.
Ohtani demonstrated his power with 70 pitches, of which 44 were strikes. His fastball reached 101.5 mph, facing Orioles’ third baseman Emmanuel Rivera. In his performance, the 31-year-old right-hander allowed three hits and one walk, striking out five batters.
Anthony Banda entered in relief of Ohtani in the fourth inning, facing Ryan Mountcastle at third base. Banda issued a walk to Dylan Beavers, but managed to finish the inning by dominating Samuel Basallo with a groundout.
Ohtani had been scratched from his previous start due to a cough, and manager Dave Roberts anticipated that the five-time All-Star would pitch fewer than five innings on Friday.
In his previous outing on August 27, Ohtani pitched five innings, allowing only two hits and one run, with nine strikeouts, earning his first win of the season in a game against the Cincinnati Reds.Shohei Ohtani pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings on Friday night in a surprise start for the Dodgers against Baltimore, after Tyler Glasnow was scratched with back stiffness.Manager Roberts commented on the situation: “Given the circumstances, it could be a slightly shorter outing. He was excited to take the mound, but it depends on his efficiency.”
Glasnow felt discomfort on Thursday night, and the back issue arose upon arriving at the stadium. Roberts indicated that Glasnow is day-to-day.
Roberts added: “I think it’s more about trusting the player and knowing that he wants to be there, feeling that we’re getting ahead of it. We didn’t get to a point where he’s injured. It’s back stiffness. We feel that not taking this start will allow him to hopefully start early next week.”
Ohtani, once again as the designated hitter, led the batting order on Friday. Roberts highlighted that the three-time MVP wanted to be crucial in breaking the team’s three-game losing streak.
“Shohei, to his credit, wants to lift us up,” Roberts said. “I really admire him for that.”
All-Star catcher Will Smith still has inflammation in his right hand and did not start on Friday. Roberts believes Smith will have to play with the bone bruise for the rest of the season.
