Shohei Ohtani reminded everyone why he's the reigning back-to-back NL MVP—and this time, he did it with his arm alone.
Taking the mound as a pitcher-only, Ohtani delivered seven scoreless innings to snap the Dodgers' season-long four-game losing streak with a 4-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. His ERA now sits at an eye-popping 0.82, the best in MLB and half a run better than the next closest pitcher (Cam Schlittler at 1.35).
To find a comparable start in Dodgers history, you have to go back to the magic of Fernandomania. Ohtani's 0.82 ERA through his first seven starts is the second-lowest by a Dodger since earned runs became official in the National League (1912), trailing only Fernando Valenzuela's legendary 0.29 mark in 1981.
Ohtani's final line was vintage ace material: 7 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts on 105 pitches—his highest pitch count since joining the Dodgers. He cruised through the first six frames before finding trouble in the seventh. With one out, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman strung together back-to-back singles, putting the tying run on base. Pitching coach Mark Prior paid a visit to the mound, but Ohtani stayed in and escaped three pitches later. Drew Gilbert lifted a deep fly ball to center, Adames broke for home, but Andy Pages made the catch at the warning track and fired back for an easy double play.
Wednesday marked Ohtani's fourth start as a pitcher-only this season, a strategy the Dodgers are using to manage his workload in what they hope will be his first full, healthy season on the mound with the team. Manager Dave Roberts also hinted that Ohtani might get a full off-day on Thursday, given his recent slow start at the plate.
But the Dodgers' lineup didn't need Ohtani's bat this time. Santiago Espinal and Mookie Betts ignited the offense with back-to-back home runs in the third inning off Giants starter Robbie Ray. Los Angeles tacked on two more runs in the fourth, giving the pitching staff all the support they needed.
It was the first time since last Wednesday that the Dodgers scored more than three runs in a game—a welcome relief for a team that had been searching for its rhythm. The 25-18 Dodgers now sit just half a game behind the San Diego Padres in the NL West race.