The frustration was palpable.
On the night Shohei Ohtani delivered six hitless innings against the Colorado Rockies, he still found room for dissatisfaction.
His team, the Dodgers, secured a 4-1 victory on Wednesday, and Ohtani’s efforts contributed significantly to the win, earning a three-game shutout at Dodger Stadium.
He kicked things off with a home run, marking his second consecutive year as a starting pitcher. In the fourth inning, he walked one batter and allowed just one hit, ultimately giving up one run over six innings.
He ended the night with seven strikeouts, holding a no-hitter until Tyler Freeman managed a single against Tanner Scott with two outs in the eighth.
Still, Ohtani seemed displeased.
This became apparent early on when he let slip an audible expletive after missing a 2-0 fastball that led to a walk for Ezequiel Tovar in the second.
His frustration mounted further in the fourth; after hitting Hunter Goodman with a pitch following a full-count walk to TJ Rumfield, he allowed the Rockies’ only run through consecutive ground balls.
Despite showing impressive pitching skills this season, allowing no further damage, his ERA crept up a bit to 0.82, and he appeared unhappy upon returning to the dugout post-game.
His final stats included 6 innings, 1 run, no hits, 4 walks, 1 hit, and 7 strikeouts.
It’s a solid performance, yet it feels disheartening for a four-time MVP.
Ohtani was also pivotal in securing the win, helping maintain the Dodgers’ lead on a night marked by yet another injury; Teoscar Hernandez had to exit in the second inning due to a hamstring strain.
Just two at-bats after Ohtani’s leadoff homer, Freddie Freeman matched him with a solo shot, sending the ball deep into left field against Rockies starter Tomoyuki Kanno.
Following the Rockies’ only run in the fourth, the Dodgers quickly retaliated with a run of their own. Later, in the eighth inning, Andy Pages slammed his 13th home run, becoming the first player in the majors to reach 50 RBIs this season.
So, Wednesday added yet another win to the Dodgers’ count, even while Ohtani had higher expectations for himself.
What It Means
The Dodgers, now at 36-20, are riding a five-game winning streak and have claimed 12 of their last 14 games.
With the last-place Rockies at 20-37, a win this week seemed almost inevitable, leading to a season’s total of 24-10 in favor of the Dodgers.
Initially contesting closely with the National League West, the Dodgers have started to gain some distance. Their Wednesday win put them four and a half games ahead of the struggling San Diego Padres, who have lost four straight, and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are on a five-game win streak and nine wins out of ten.
Who Is Hot
While Ohtani may have been critical of his performance, it hasn’t dimmed his impressive start to the season as a pitcher.
He primarily relied on just two pitches—a fastball and a sweeper—for most of the game. Perhaps not managing traffic effectively during four out of the six innings took a toll, though.
In fact, for the seventh time in nine starts this year, he pitched at least six innings while allowing one earned run or less.
Ohtani’s record now stands at 5 wins and 2 losses, with an ERA of 0.82, though he’s still shy of the innings needed to qualify for the ERA title.
Who Is Not?
Teoscar Hernández suffered a left hamstring strain.
He sustained the injury attempting to ground out in the second inning, grabbing at his foot right after being thrown out at first.
Clearly upset, he nearly slammed his helmet as he returned to the dugout before heading into the clubhouse.
The extent of Hernandez’s injury isn’t clear yet, but losing him could hurt the team given his recent performance, especially with Quique Hernández already on injured reserve due to an oblique strain.
To the Next
The Dodgers will have a day off on Thursday before facing the Philadelphia Phillies in an NLDS rematch on Friday night.
Justin Wroblewski, with a 6-2 record and a 3.07 ERA, is set to start the series opener.
