Junk shares moment with Ohtani, then wins duel vs. former teammate

LOS ANGELES – Marlins right-hander Janson Junk had begun his pre-start routine when Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani waved at him from the outfield. Junk nodded back.

Ohtani, one of the world’s most recognizable athletes, is a perennial MVP candidate looking to add Cy Young hardware to his already impressive collection. Junk is a lesser-known pitcher who found his footing in the Majors in 2025.

Yet the interaction wasn’t random.

Junk and Ohtani overlapped two seasons with the Angels from 2021-22, which began an active stretch of five straight All-Star campaigns for Ohtani. During that two-year span, Junk appeared in seven games (six starts) and posted a 4.74 ERA (13 ER in 24 2/3 IP) to open his MLB career.

In Tuesday night’s matchup, Junk outdueled Ohtani in a 2-1 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

“I haven't seen him [in] can't remember how many years, four or five years, and just showing that appreciation towards me in that moment just shows kind of the character he is and was back then when I played with him with the Angels,” Junk said. “He's a very selfless and humble man, and that's why everybody loves him. And he's really good. It was kind of cool to share that moment with him tonight on the mound.”

This latest effort from Junk extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 11 by shutting down the Dodgers over six frames. He scattered three hits – all singles – with four strikeouts and one walk in a 76-pitch outing.

It marked just the third time in Junk’s career that he went at least six innings and didn’t give up an earned run.

“I think I've evolved drastically,” Junk said of how he compares to 2021. “Just understanding myself more, having the confidence just every way, shape, form. I think I am a different pitcher from those days than now.”

Junk was in control throughout, with the Dodgers’ best chance against him coming in the first when they loaded the bases with one out. He buckled down, inducing a Max Muncy popout and a Teoscar Hernández forceout. Los Angeles didn’t get another runner in scoring position vs. Junk, who retired eight straight batters at one point until Kyle Tucker’s two-out single in the sixth.

The 30-year-old Junk did so by executing his game plan to perfection – even with a late scratch of catcher Liam Hicks (illness) – capitalizing on how aggressive the Dodgers’ lineup was. He utilized his curveball at a higher rate (14.5%) than he had all season and attacked the zone with his secondary pitches, especially the slider (39.5%).

“He set the tone on the mound,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “He was fantastic. They know he's going to pound the strike zone. They came out aggressive, and he really mixed things up. He moved the ball around, executed. He was able to get through six innings very efficiently. After the first there, he was able to really settle in and threw great.”

Miami, meanwhile, scrapped together just enough against Ohtani.

Agustín Ramírez, who started at catcher in place of Hicks, got struck on the left wrist by Ohtani’s 94.6 mph sinker to open the second. He stole second and advanced to third on Ohtani’s error, as his pickoff throw to second sailed into center field. Two batters later, Owen Caissie produced a sacrifice fly.

The difference in the game proved to be Kyle Stowers’ two-out RBI single in the fifth for just the second earned run allowed by Ohtani all season. Christopher Morel walked on four pitches to open the frame in his club debut, moved to second on Jakob Marsee’s bunt and came home on Stowers’ sharp grounder to right (99.4 mph exit velocity).

Once Junk’s night was done, the Marlins needed to navigate the final three innings with closer Pete Fairbanks on the injured list with nerve irritation. Righty Anthony Bender tossed a scoreless seventh, while righty Michael Petersen allowed one run on three singles and exited with runners on the corners and one out in the eighth. Lefty John King retired the next two batters to maintain the one-run cushion.

Right-hander Tyler Phillips, who saved four games in 2025 but has been used in a multi-inning role in '26, pitched a scoreless ninth for the save. When Fairbanks left Monday’s game, Phillips took over and nearly escaped the bases-loaded jam. After a strikeout, he coughed up the two-out walk-off hit.

“Everyone's capable of stepping up,” King said. “All eight guys in the bullpen are capable of that. We believe in one another, and I know the team believes in us, too, so we're just going to keep going and attacking and stick to our stuff.”