PHOENIX -- D-backs catcher Gabriel Moreno accomplished something that no other hitter had managed to do in quite some time: get a hit off Shohei Ohtani.
Dating back to last week, 34 straight batters had come up empty-handed in the hits column against Ohtani, who tossed six hitless innings in his previous start before going 11 up, 11 down to open Wednesday night's 7-0 win over the D-backs. Moreno ended the streak at 9 2/3 innings, lacing a two-out double down the right-field line in the fourth inning.
The two-bagger gave the D-backs their first real chance to get something going against Ohtani, but they were unable to do anything with it. Ohtani stranded Moreno on second and went on to complete six scoreless innings, in which he struck out six, walked one and allowed just two hits.
When Ohtani hit a leadoff home run to go with six no-hit innings in his previous start, it may have been his most impressive two-way performance of the season. But Wednesday, when he knocked three singles with a pair of walks, may have been his most complete showing on both sides of the ball yet.
Ohtani lowered his ERA to 0.74. Since the earned run became an official statistic in 1913, only two other starting pitchers had a lower ERA through their first 10 starts of a season (excluding openers): Jacob deGrom in 2021 (0.56) and Juan Marichal in 1966 (0.59).
And since at least 1900, there have been only four instances of players pitching at least six scoreless innings and reaching base at least five times in a game. Ohtani is the first to do it in more than 60 years, and the other three threw shutouts (Mel Stottlemyre in 1964, Mel Parnell in 1951 and Hod Eller in 1920).
On the eve of a scheduled day off for Ohtani in the series finale at Chase Field, manager Dave Roberts was hoping that the two-way superstar would be able to "empty the tank" on Wednesday. As a hitter and a pitcher, Ohtani did just that.