Shohei Ohtani, the multifaceted luminary of the Los Angeles Dodgers, engaged in competition against his prior affiliation, the Los Angeles Angels, on Wednesday evening, marking his inaugural pitching appearance opposite them. The contest culminated in a possible setback for the visiting team.
The Dodgers’ ultimate 6-5 defeat also signified Ohtani’s return to the mound at Angel Stadium for the first time since his encounter with the Reds on August 23, 2023, while still an Angel. In that instance, he departed the game prematurely in the second inning due to an elbow ailment that necessitated Tommy John surgery. His recuperation from this surgical intervention precluded him from pitching in 2024, his inaugural season with the Dodgers. Previously, he made his return to Angel Stadium during the last campaign as a visiting player, assuming the role of the Dodgers’ designated hitter without pitching.
Dave Roberts, the Dodgers’ manager, disclosed preceding the match that Ohtani’s participation would be capped at five innings. However, an escalating pitch tally coupled with a surge by the Angels in the fourth inning prevented Ohtani from attaining that innings threshold during his comeback season as a pitcher.
Subsequent to his leadoff triple in the initial portion of the first inning and the establishment of a 3-0 advantage before his initial delivery, Ohtani amassed the subsequent statistical output on the pitching rubber:
Of Ohtani’s season-high 80 throws, half were categorized as strikes. He induced 14 missed swings throughout the evening but conceded six instances of firmly struck balls.
In the initial inning’s latter half, he initiated proceedings by striking out Zach Neto. As Sarah Langs points out, this feat rendered Ohtani the pioneer starting pitcher since at least 1900 to achieve a leadoff triple and subsequently strike out the initial batter confronted in the identical game.
With two outs registered in that same initial inning’s latter portion, Ohtani faced off against his former Angels teammate and fellow three-time MVP Mike Trout for the first occasion since the climactic showdown of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. During that particular encounter, Ohtani induced a whiff from Trout on a sweeper pitch, thereby securing the WBC title for Japan. On Wednesday evening, Ohtani commenced his confrontation with Trout by unleashing five consecutive fastballs, each registering 98 or 99 mph. Subsequently, he froze him with a sweeper on a full count for strike three:
The second inning proved less auspicious for Ohtani, witnessing him surrender a home run and a double, accompanied by two additional well-struck balls, leading to the concession of a pair of runs within that frame.
In the fourth inning, Ohtani confronted Trout for a second juncture, this time freezing him with a fastball clocked at 101 mph positioned on the periphery of the strike zone:
The fifth inning witnessed an escalation in Ohtani’s pitch count, coupled with challenges in maintaining precise location, despite sustained peak velocity levels. With one out registered and the Dodgers holding a 5-2 advantage, Neto approached the plate representing the potential tying run. His at-bat concluded Ohtani’s stint on the pitching mound:
Subsequently, the Dodger bullpen executed its responsibilities effectively, preserving the slim one-run margin until the eighth inning, when the Angels capitalized with a pair of runs courtesy of a line-drive single off the bat of Logan O’Hoppe, thereby seizing the lead permanently:
Kenley Jansen concluded the ninth inning, securing his 470th career save, while the Angels extended their winning streak to seven consecutive games against their interleague adversaries from Los Angeles.
Earlier in the day, the reigning-champion Dodgers relinquished their hold on first place in the National League West for the first instance since April 28. This shift transpired due to the Padres’ dominant 11-1 triumph over the Giants. Their recent defeat at the hands of the Angels signifies that the Dodgers now trail the Padres by a full game in the divisional standings. As recently as July 3, the Dodgers commanded a substantial nine-game advantage within the division.
Following his transition from Japan as a 23-year-old in 2018, Ohtani formalized an agreement with the Angels as an international free agent, dedicating the initial six seasons of his MLB tenure in Anaheim. Throughout that period, he garnered a pair of MVP awards and shattered numerous records owing to his unparalleled prowess as both a hitter and a pitcher. Ohtani attained free agency status subsequent to the 2023 season and promptly inked a landmark $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
