Shohei Ohtani Pitches Six Hitless Innings and Blasts Leadoff Homer as Dodgers Defeat Rockies
Shohei Ohtani turned in one of the most dominant performances of his pitching career on Wednesday, throwing six hitless innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. The win completed a series sweep, extended the Dodgers’ winning streak to five games, and further strengthened their hold on first place in the NL West. Ohtani allowed no hits over his six-inning start and finished with seven strikeouts across 99 pitches, coming within reach of helping the Dodgers complete a combined no-hitter. The only Rockies hit came in the eighth inning, when Tyler Freeman singled to break up the bid.
The outing continued a remarkable season for Ohtani on the mound. Through nine pitching starts, he owns a 0.82 ERA, which is by far the best of his career. That marks a major step forward from last season, when he posted a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts while returning to pitching after injuries had limited him to designated hitter duties. Wednesday’s performance also added to Ohtani’s growing place in baseball history. He became the first Major League pitcher since 2015 to hit a home run and throw six hitless innings in the same game, and he became the first Dodgers pitcher to do so since Don Drysdale in 1959.
Ohtani made an immediate impact at the plate as well. He opened the game with a leadoff home run, giving the Dodgers an early spark before Freddie Freeman added another homer later in the same inning. The Rockies managed to score in the fourth after Ohtani walked TJ Rumfield and hit Hunter Goodman with a pitch, setting up a groundout RBI by Willi Castro. Los Angeles responded in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single from Alex Call, and Andy Pages added a solo homer in the eighth to provide extra insurance.
The Dodgers improved to 36-20 with the victory and have now won 12 of their last 14 games. Their recent stretch of success has put them in strong position as the season moves deeper into the summer. The team’s night was not entirely positive, however, as Enrique Hernández and Teoscar Hernández both left with injuries. Enrique was sent to the injured list with what was described as a significant oblique tear, while Teoscar exited after awkwardly running out a ground ball and was later diagnosed with a left hamstring injury.
Los Angeles will begin a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. Ohtani’s next scheduled pitching appearance is June 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. If his current form continues, he appears well positioned to remain one of baseball’s most powerful forces on both the mound and at the plate, while the Dodgers continue to build momentum in the race for the division title.
