Shohei Ohtani Shines on the Mound Despite Dodgers’ Loss
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani had an outstanding performance on the mound, pitching two scoreless innings against the Houston Astros on Saturday. This was his fourth start of the season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. On his 31st birthday, Ohtani impressed by striking out the three batters he faced in the second inning. The pitcher allowed one hit and threw 31 pitches, 21 of them in the strike zone. Ohtani struck out Christian Walker, Victor Caratini, and Yanier Diaz, all swinging, to finish his performance as a starter, while continuing his recovery from elbow surgery. Despite Ohtani’s good performance, Houston scored four runs in the third inning against reliever Justin Wrobleski, securing a victory with a final score of 6-4. In his previous start, Ohtani recorded the fastest pitch of his career, reaching 101.7 mph. On this occasion, his maximum speed was 100.9 mph, a pitch that Caratini fouled off.The festive atmosphere in the stadium included a rendition of “Happy Birthday” by Dodgers organist Dieter Ruehle as Ohtani headed to the dugout after the second inning. In addition, the grounds crew wrote “HB Sho” on the field. Ohtani, through an interpreter, expressed his gratitude: “I’m at an age where I don’t celebrate birthdays like I used to. That said, I’m grateful to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. As long as I can play as I want, I usually spend my birthday like any other day.” In the first inning, Ohtani allowed a single to Isaac Paredes. Then, he got Cam Smith to hit a ground ball that Tommy Edman turned into a double play. Jose Altuve was the next batter, hitting a ground out, allowing Ohtani to retire the inning with only 10 pitches. In the current season, Ohtani has allowed only one run in six innings, with an ERA of 1.50. Last season, three-time MVP Ohtani was unable to pitch due to recovery from Tommy John surgery. In his five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, he recorded a 38-19 record with a 3.01 ERA in 86 starts. In batting, Ohtani, who usually bats first in the order, hit a hit in four at-bats, in addition to receiving a walk. In the ninth inning, he hit a single against the Astros’ closer, Josh Hader, who then retired Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman to finish the game. Ohtani commented on his performance at the plate: “I don’t feel so bad at the plate. At the same time, I’m recognizing pitches that I should be able to hit, which I’m not doing. Usually, it’s a small difference with the way I’m swinging and the work in the cage. I hope I can apply it on the field.”“I am very impressed,” commented manager Dave Roberts on Ohtani’s performance. “His game keeps improving, the control, the feel of making pitches. It’s good to see that he doesn’t have to throw as hard as he can. It’s more of a controlled, effective pitch. Really efficient with the double play in the first inning. We will analyze the next start and discuss how much and what we expect from him. Really impressed with how he has continued to improve with each outing.”
Dave Roberts, Dodgers Manager
