LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani’s reliance on his fastball caught up with him lately, making the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way celebrity intent on altering his pitch combine.
He had given up a mixed 9 runs and 14 hits in his two earlier outings, a pair of Dodgers losses to the Los Angeles Angels, his former group, and the Colorado Rockies.
Making his eleventh begin as he returns from elbow surgical procedure two years in the past, Ohtani struck out a season-high 9 over 5 innings Wednesday night time in a 5-1 victory in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds for his first win on the mound with the Dodgers.
“The plan going into this sport was to throw extra curveballs and splits whatever the lineup,” Ohtani stated by means of an interpreter.
His earlier pitching win got here on Aug. 9, 2023, with the Angels in opposition to San Francisco.
Towards the Reds, Ohtani (1-1) allowed one run and two hits whereas strolling two on a season-high 87 pitches, 53 for strikes. On the plate, he was 1 for five with a run.
“Every little thing was working. He received in a groove,” rookie catcher Dalton Speeding stated. “He discovered the curveball within the first inning and it was working rather well for him. It was a giant pitch.”
As they walked off the sector collectively after the third inning, Ohtani put his arm round Speeding.
“Shohei’s calling each pitch the primary few innings after which simply so occurred within the third I referred to as one pitch and from then on out he wished me to name the sport,” Speeding stated. “We type of trusted one another. We had been very snug working collectively.”
As an alternative of counting on fastballs and sweepers as he had earlier this season, Ohtani bedeviled the Reds with off-speed and secondary pitches earlier than going to the fastball his final two innings.
“The beauty of Shohei is he can command, when he’s proper, 4 or 5 pitches,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “Right now was an entire efficiency by Shohei.”
Ohtani didn’t pitch final season, his first with the Dodgers, whereas recovering from elbow surgical procedure in September 2023. The group has fastidiously managed his workload since he returned to the mound.
“The No. 1 aim was to ensure my fastball and my velocity was the place I would like it to be,” Ohtani stated. “As we’re progressing by means of this rehab normally, other than the innings, I simply actually wished to have the ability to incorporate different pitches.”
For the primary time this season, Ohtani went the minimal 5 innings to qualify for a win. He’s anticipated to make his subsequent begin subsequent Wednesday at Pittsburgh, once more focusing on 5 innings.
“His really feel for the sport, his pitches, is actually outstanding,” Roberts stated. “The previous couple of begins he was fairly predictable and so he was sensible sufficient to type of suss that out and get them off the scent.”
Ohtani retired 10 of his closing 11 batters, together with the final eight.
“He’s received all the things,” Reds supervisor Terry Francona stated. “He’s good and he’s actually robust on lefties.”
