Ohtani goes 7 IP for 1st time in '26, but also allows 1st HRs

HOUSTON -- Shohei Ohtani didn't have his best command on Tuesday night, but his velocity was enough to get the job done.

One day after being named the National League Pitcher of the Month, Ohtani gave the Dodgers seven strong innings in a 2-1 loss at Daikin Park. In an 89-pitch effort, he struck out eight and allowed four hits, finishing his night with a season ERA of 0.97.

Ohtani took the mound with a clear focus: prioritize the pitching and give his body a break from the batter’s box. Manager Dave Roberts kept Ohtani out of the lineup for the second straight pitching appearance, hoping a mental and physical reset would help snap a recent 0-for-17 skid at the plate that dates back to April 29. His last hits came in a 3-for-5 game on April 27, the date before his previous pitching appearance to this one.

"He would never ask out, no," Roberts said pregame when asked if Ohtani would ever voice his fatigue. "He is smart enough to know his body ... how it's responding to what we're asking of him as far as hitting and pitching. To be self-aware and honest with where his body is at ... there's no resistance. It's complete buy-in."

The decision to take hitting off his plate for the day stems from what Roberts described as a balancing act that comes with being the game's only two-way star.

Roberts noted that the physical tax of a pitching start often bleeds into Ohtani’s offensive mechanics, sometimes making it difficult for him to right himself at the plate while simultaneously preparing to lead the rotation.

"I do think that some of these offensive struggles could be due to more of that fatigue and how demanding his role is," Roberts said. "With pitching, there's the day of the start ... the day after you're hitting, the tax on your body and what you endured the day before your outing. So that affects the hitting as two days right there."

Ohtani’s night on the mound reflected that grind. He gave up solo home runs to Christian Walker and Braden Shewmake on 98.7 mph fastballs that caught too much of the plate -- the first long balls he’s allowed this season.

“It was really mislocated, to the area completely opposite of where I was intending to,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “If the execution was better, I think it wouldn’t have been a homer, but they also put good swings as well.”

He also dealt with deep counts and a hit batsman, but he found his location when it mattered most. In the fifth inning, after giving up back-to-back two-out singles, Ohtani dialed his fastball up to 101 mph and used an 88.8 mph sweeper to strike out Jose Altuve and end the threat.

The Dodgers’ offense, meanwhile, struggled to capitalize against Astros starter Peter Lambert. Despite a first-inning double by Freddie Freeman and a bases-loaded opportunity in the fourth, the Dodgers remained scoreless until the eighth, when pinch-hitter Alex Call doubled and scored on a two-out single by Kyle Tucker.

Shortstop Miguel Rojas noted that the team’s recent situational struggles might stem from hitters pressing to find their rhythm.

"Sometimes we go through moments where you struggle and you’re trying to get yourself out of it and kind of forget a little bit about what you’re trying to do in the situation," Rojas said. "Sometimes just keeping the line moving is better. But I feel like when you press and when you’re trying to do too much ... the results are not going to be with you."

For Rojas, the frustration was amplified by the fact that the lineup couldn’t back Ohtani.

"It’s just sad that you couldn't [do it] when Shohei had thrown the ball really well," Rojas added. "He's doing his job... it's on us, and we have plenty of hitters in this lineup that can get the job done."

Despite the lack of run support, Ohtani remained efficient, reaching the seventh inning for the first time this season and capping his night with a perfect frame. While Roberts pointed to the physical toll of the two-way life as a reason for his current slump, Ohtani himself wasn’t as quick to blame his work on the mound for his struggles at the plate.

"I don't think so, personally, that pitching has been affecting my hitting," Ohtani said. "But I understand, in a situation where [the team says], 'Hey, just focus on pitching, turn the page on the hitting,' I understand the team might think like that."