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. 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.
Providing seven innings was vital for a Dodgers staff navigating a stretch of 13 games in 13 days. With several key pieces of the starting rotation still on the injured list, the Dodgers have relied on a bullpen that averaged more than four innings per game over the last two weeks. Ohtani’s length on the mound gave that group a much-needed reprieve.
Despite the recent fallback at the plate, Roberts remains confident that Ohtani will eventually return to his personal mean.
"I don't think he's too far off," Roberts said. "He's still taking his walks, getting on base ... it's just an easy bet that he'll return to his mean."
Ohtani made it into the seventh inning for the first time this season, capping his night with a perfect frame.