PITTSBURGH -- Shohei Ohtani proved human on the mound on Wednesday night, and he got no help from his bullpen as the Dodgers blew a five-run lead and lost to the Pirates, 9-8 at PNC Park.
It was the type of loss that led to manager Dave Roberts saying: “This one stung.”
Ohtani allowed a season-high four runs (three earned) in 6 2/3 innings, but he was still in line to win as the Dodgers led 6-3 when he was lifted. That is a quality start by definition, but a rough outing by Ohtani’s lofty standards as his ERA rose from 0.74 to 1.06.
With Alex Vesia pitching, the Pirates cut the deficit to two before the seventh inning ended.
Los Angeles’ lead disappeared in the eighth inning, when rookie Tyler Callihan’s three-run home run off Kyle Hurt put the Pirates ahead, 7-6. Callihan also took Ohtani deep in the fourth inning for his first career homer.
“I yanked a 3-2 pitch and there was nothing I could do after that,” Hurt said of the home run he yielded to Callihan. “He’s a hot hitter and he didn’t miss it.”
Spencer Horwitz’s two-run homer later in the eighth off Jack Dreyer capped the five-run inning and pushed the Pirates’ lead to 9-6.
Ohtani lifted a two-run homer into the center-field bullpen to bring the Dodgers within one, but Gregory Soto retired Andy Pages and Freddie Freeman on three total pitches to end the game.
Ohtani was 1-for-5, but he was robbed of a home run by left fielder Bryan Reynolds in the fourth inning.
“This one stings, because I felt we were playing good baseball,” Roberts said. “We had no business losing that game. I can’t recall all the losses we’ve had. I know there’s some other ones that have really stung a bit, but recently, [this] certainly doesn’t feel good.”
Ohtani pitched well enough to win despite faltering in the seventh inning on a hot and humid evening, just the third time he has pitched that deep into a game in 11 starts this season. He wound up allowing six hits, striking out six and walking three. Ohtani’s 102 pitches were three short of his season high.
“Going into that inning, the pitch count was relatively low, so I don’t think I was fatigued,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “It was just missed [pitch] execution.”
Ohtani also pitched to catcher Dalton Rushing for the first time this season. Primary catcher Will Smith missed his fourth straight game because of neck stiffness and will be placed on the 10-day injured list.
“Yeah, I shook a few times more than usual, but I think that’s normal given that I haven’t really worked with him this year,” Ohtani said. “It’s something you just have to have a conversation here and there and be on the same page.”
The Dodgers seemed to have the game in hand when rookie outfielder Ryan Ward (L.A.'s No. 19 prospect) hit his first career grand slam to push their lead to 6-1 in the sixth inning.
Alas, the lead wasn’t big enough for the National West-leading Dodgers.