Shohei Ohtani’s stellar pitching performances have sparked Cy Young Award conversations. Despite his two-way player status, Ohtani has been focusing solely on pitching in recent starts.
Ohtani’s Pitching Prowess
Ohtani pitched seven scoreless innings against the Giants, striking out eight. He threw 105 pitches, allowing four hits and two walks in the 4-0 victory at Dodger Stadium. His ERA now stands at an impressive 0.82.
That places Ohtani atop the ERA leaderboard. It is also the second-lowest ERA by a Dodgers pitcher through his first seven starts since 1912. Only Fernando Valenzuela had a lower ERA at this point, with 0.29 in 1981.
Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Ohtani’s Cy Young aspirations. Roberts stated that Ohtani is a different person when he’s pitching. Roberts believes Ohtani wanting to win the Cy Young helps the Dodgers.
Dodgers’ Performance During Ohtani’s Starts
The Dodgers snapped a four-game losing streak with their win against the Giants. They had been in desperate need of a win, having lost those games by at least four runs each. However, the Dodgers are only 2-4 in Ohtani’s first six starts.
The Dodgers have struggled to provide run support during Ohtani’s starts. They have averaged just 2.9 runs per game when he is on the mound. That is the lowest mark for any Dodgers starter.
Mookie Betts highlighted the importance of the win. Betts stated that it felt like the team needed to get something going and show themselves. He added that Ohtani shutting down the Giants gave the team time to build something.
Game Highlights
Ohtani received early run support in the third inning. Santiago Espinal and Betts hit back-to-back home runs. The Dodgers added two more runs in the fourth inning.
Ohtani relied heavily on his four-seamer and sweeper. He faced minimal pressure until the final inning. With one out in the seventh, Ohtani allowed consecutive hits to Willy Adames and Matt Chapman.
Drew Gilbert hit a ball to center, but Andy Pages made the catch at the warning track. Adames was doubled off at second base to end the inning.
That play put his incredible run in perspective for Ohtani.
Ohtani got early run support and ran with it in his seventh start of the season, where he didn’t face significant stress until his final inning.