Ohtani strikes out 11
Shohei Ohtani struck out 11 batters in four innings as the Angels beat the Dodgers 3–0 in a spring training finale — a reminder Ohtani’s stuff is in midseason form even before Opening Day. The result capped spring highlights across Grapefruit and Cactus League wraps. (x.com)
He threw 86 pitches, 49 for strikes, while allowing four hits, two walks and three runs before being removed after three straight singles in the fifth inning. (mlb.com) The Dodgers had targeted a roughly 75–80 pitch limit for the outing but he reached about 79 through four innings and then exceeded that target — a factor the club said played into the mid-inning exit, manager Dave Roberts added. (espn.com) A dominant stretch came between the second and fourth innings when he fanned six batters in a row, including middle-of-the-order outs of Jorge Soler, Yoán Moncada and Jo Adell. (mlb.com) Team reports broke down the putaways: several K’s on the fastball, two on a sweeper, one on a sinker and three on a curveball — the last pitch was notably used more after being underutilized (less than 10%) last season. (espn.com) With Blake Snell and Gavin Stone sidelined and the rotation light on depth, the Dodgers are penciling him into the early-season rotation and he’s expected to make his first regular-season start on March 31, 2026 against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. (mlb.com)
