LOS ANGELES — On Wednesday night time, the Dodgers celebrated Shohei Ohtani’s offensive prowess with a bobblehead commemorating his 2024 50-50 marketing campaign. In addition they noticed their two-way star take a significant step ahead on the pitching aspect.
For the primary time as a Dodger, Ohtani accomplished 5 innings, permitting only one run whereas setting season highs with 9 strikeouts and 87 pitches in L.A.’s 5-1 win over the Reds at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani’s first Dodgers win helped his crew develop into the primary to brush Cincinnati this season.
He supplied practically half of the Dodgers’ 19 whole strikeouts, a season excessive for the membership and a franchise file for a nine-inning sport since no less than 1901.
When one’s repertoire consists of seven forms of pitches, a pitcher can look very completely different from begin to begin.
On Wednesday, Ohtani’s curveball obtained a lot better play than in his earlier outings. He threw it 23 instances, accounting for 26 % of his pitches; he’d thrown a complete of 11 mixed by his first 10 begins.
It proved to be an efficient putaway pitch, as he picked up 4 of his Ok’s with it. His four-seamer, in the meantime, touched 100 mph 4 instances, maxing out at 100.3.
It may have been a really completely different night time for Ohtani, as issues practically obtained away from him in a laborious 27-pitch second inning. Ohtani issued two walks and unleashed two wild pitches, however he struck out the aspect to depart runners stranded at second and third. He gave up a one-out homer to Noelvi Marte within the third, however settled in from there, retiring the ultimate eight batters he confronted.
Ohtani performed a key function on the offensive aspect as effectively. When he stepped to the plate within the backside of the fourth, Reds starter Nick Lodolo had retired the primary 9 batters he confronted. Ohtani broke by with a single, keying a four-run rally.
Ohtani, who made his Dodgers pitching debut on June 16 after recovering from a second main elbow surgical procedure, has been working his approach again regularly. The Dodgers will stay cautious with him, desiring to restrict him to 5 innings per sport this season.
However the begin vs. Cincinnati was a pleasant bounce-back efficiency, as Ohtani had struggled his final two instances on the mound, permitting 9 earned runs over 8 1/3 innings. Supervisor Dave Roberts acknowledged earlier than the sport that Ohtani is, maybe, nonetheless looking for himself a bit following an almost two-year layoff from pitching.
He certain regarded like he’d discovered one thing on Wednesday.
With the Padres dropping to the Mariners earlier within the day, the Dodgers’ lead within the Nationwide League West grew to 2 video games.
