Ohtani's dominant start

Shohei Ohtani gave the Dodgers six scoreless innings on April 22, but San Francisco still beat Los Angeles 3-0 after he left the game. (mlb.com) Ohtani struck out seven, allowed five hits, walked nobody and hit 100 miles per hour seven times in the outing at Oracle Park. His earned run average fell to 0.38 after four starts. (mlb.com) The game turned in the seventh inning, when Patrick Bailey hit a three-run homer after Ohtani exited. The loss dropped the Dodgers to four defeats in five games. (espn.com) Earned run average tracks how many earned runs a pitcher allows per nine innings, and a 0.38 mark means Ohtani has given up one earned run in 24 innings so far. ESPN’s game log lists him at 2-0 with 25 strikeouts and a 0.75 walks-and-hits-per-inning pitched, or WHIP, through those 24 innings. (espn.com) This is Ohtani’s first full season back in a two-way role after elbow surgery interrupted his pitching work. In his March 31 pitching debut against Cleveland, he also threw six scoreless innings and struck out six in a 4-1 Dodgers win. (mlb.com) He is still doing both jobs at once. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the San Francisco game that the club could give Ohtani a break at designated hitter on some pitching days to keep him fresh over the season. (espn.com) Wednesday also snapped a 53-game on-base streak for Ohtani, who went 0-for-4 at the plate. MLB.com called it his first regular-season game without reaching base since Aug. 23 of last year. (mlb.com) The early numbers explain why Ohtani is back in the middle of every Dodgers game, even on nights when the lineup goes quiet. He has thrown at least six innings in each of his four starts, and on April 22 he left with the score still tied 0-0. (espn.com)