"I felt today was different."
LA Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, who pitched the most innings this season, led the team to break a long, painful 7-game losing streak. The Dodgers achieved a narrow 2-1 victory against the San Francisco Giants in the '2025 Major League' game held at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, on the 13th (Korean time). This allowed the Dodgers to escape from the lengthy 7-game losing streak.
On that day, Ohtani pitched 3 innings, the most he has pitched this season in his fifth start. This was evidence that the buildup for the starting pitcher was accelerating. He threw 36 pitches over 3 innings, allowing just 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 4 batters, achieving a perfect performance without allowing any runs.
He used 23 four-seam fastballs reaching up to 99.9 mph (160 km), 5 sweepers, 4 cutters, 3 sliders, and 1 sinker.
He showcased his power from the first inning. He struck out Mike Yastrzemski, Heliot Ramos, and Rafael Devers consecutively. In the second inning, he handled leadoff hitter Matt Chapman with a ground ball to shortstop and Willy Adames with a pop-up to third base. After two outs, he allowed a walk to Lee Jung-hoo, but finished the inning by getting Casey Schmidt to pop out to shortstop.
He began pitching his first 3 innings of the season. In the third inning, he retired leadoff hitter Dominic Smith with a pop-out to third base, and struck out Patrick Bailey once again. After two outs, he allowed a single to Mike Yastrzemski but finished his 3-inning outing by getting Heliot Ramos to fly out to center field.
Ohtani completely shut down the game for 3 innings, and Kim Hye-sung also made an impactful play in the later innings. In the second inning, with no outs and runners on 1st and 3rd, Kim Hye-sung struck out, but Tommy Edman grounded out to second base to score the first run. Then, in the top of the sixth with 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, he delivered a timely hit falling into left-center field, taking a 2-0 lead. Kim Hye-sung was tagged out trying to reach second base, which left a feeling of regret.
Nevertheless, the Dodgers managed to escape the 7-game losing streak, allowing only 1 run in a crisis with the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the eighth.
After the game, manager Dave Roberts noted, "Compared to the feelings of the past 7 days, I’m definitely feeling much better," and first mentioned Ohtani as a key contributor to breaking the losing streak. He said, "I believe today’s victory started with Ohtani. When Ohtani pitches, there’s a different atmosphere."
He continued, "After seeing him strike out 3 batters in the first inning, I felt, 'Ah, today is different.' I think he brought the atmosphere from that point on. Ohtani threw strong pitches while showing his competitive spirit, providing a great start."
He praised the speed of Ohtani's fastball. He said, "The velocity of the fastball felt lively, almost like it was dancing from above. His control was very good. While he relied on fastballs, he effectively used breaking balls after gaining an advantageous count."
Pitcher Ohtani was determined that day. Roberts also felt it. He said, "I see he’s enjoying himself on the mound. I’m not sure if it’s like he has another persona, but he definitely seems to enjoy being on the mound. Ohtani is a smart player with quick situational judgment."
He emphasized, "I knew today was an important game, and he showed a high level of concentration. Although he didn’t show it outwardly, there was definitely an energy present. Striking out 3 batters to set the tone was a very significant factor. It’s not an exaggeration to say that a starting pitcher determines the tone of the game every day," highlighting Ohtani’s ace qualities.
It is nearing the time when pitcher Ohtani can fully take responsibility for the game. Excluding Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw, the situation with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki all being injured is why they fell into a 7-game losing streak; there hasn’t been a starter capable of pitching long innings. If Ohtani can shoulder the responsibility for the game effectively, it will relieve the Dodgers' starting rotation. The day when the value of the $700 million, 10-year contract can truly shine is approaching.
[OSEN]