Shohei Ohtani picks up first win as Dodger in…
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani’s reliance on his fastball caught up with him just lately, making the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way famous person 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 staff, and the Colorado Rockies.
Making his eleventh start as he returns from elbow surgical procedure two years in the past, Ohtani struck out a season-high 9 over 5 innings Wednesday evening in a 5-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds for his first win on the mound with the Dodgers.
“The plan going into this game was to throw more curveballs and splits regardless of the lineup,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
His earlier pitching win got here on Aug. 9, 2023, with the Angels against San Francisco.
Against the Reds, Ohtani (1-1) allowed one run and two hits while strolling two on a season-high 87 pitches, 53 for strikes. At the plate, he was 1 for 5 with a run.
“Everything was working. He got in a groove,” rookie catcher Dalton Rushing said. “He figured out the curveball in the first inning and it was working really well for him. It was a big pitch.”
As they walked off the sphere together after the third inning, Ohtani put his arm around Rushing.
“Shohei’s calling every pitch the first few innings and then just so happened in the third I called one pitch and from then on out he wanted me to call the game,” Rushing said. “We kind of trusted each other. We were very comfortable working together.”
Shohei Ohtani, who allowed one run in 5 innings, picked up his first win as a Dodger in their win over the Reds. Getty Images
Instead of relying on fastballs and sweepers as he had earlier this season, Ohtani bedeviled the Reds with off-speed and secondary pitches before going to the fastball his last two innings.
“The great thing about Shohei is he can command, when he’s right, four or five pitches,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts said. “Today was a complete performance by Shohei.”
Ohtani didn’t pitch last season, his first with the Dodgers, while recovering from elbow surgical procedure in September 2023. The staff has fastidiously managed his workload since he returned to the mound.
“The No. 1 goal was to make sure my fastball and my velocity was where I want it to be,” Ohtani said. “As we’re progressing through this rehab in general, aside from the innings, I just really wanted to be able to incorporate other pitches.”
Shohei Ohtani runs of the mound after the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ 5-1 win over the Cubs on Aug. 27, 2025. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
For the first time this season, Ohtani went the minimal 5 innings to qualify for a win. He’s anticipated to make his next start next Wednesday at Pittsburgh, again focusing on 5 innings.
“His feel for the game, his pitches, is truly remarkable,” Roberts said. “The last few starts he was pretty predictable and so he was smart enough to kind of suss that out and get them off the scent.”
Ohtani retired 10 of his remaining 11 batters, including the last eight.
“He’s got everything,” Reds supervisor Terry Francona said. “He’s good and he’s really tough on lefties.”
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