Shohei Ohtani Dominates After Dodgers ‘EmptyLos Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has been an amazing pitcher during his starts every sixth game, and Wednesday was no different vs. the Diamondbacks, pitching six scoreless innings.
Ohtani’s pitching has not been the sharpest recently, with his command failing to put him in favorable counts.
Shohei Ohtani is absolutely shoving again.
Just one hard hit, no hits, and three strikeouts for Ohtani on a night where his command looks a lot better.
His velocity is down on the heater, but he is locating so well that he has 10 called strikes. pic.twitter.com/xgGKidKJIH
— Nelson Espinal (@nelson__espinal) June 4, 2026
Still, he has not allowed many runs as a pitcher, and he continues to impress with better two-way performances, hitting and pitching well on days when he does both.
In Arizona against a division rival, Ohtani was back to his usual best, delivering outing plate appearances, and his pitching was the best it has been in a couple of starts.
Ohtani reached base four times through six innings, while the Arizona Diamondbacks only reached base three times up until that point.
He allowed two hits and a walk, and despite being at 89 pitches, manager Dave Roberts made the call to pull Ohtani, especially since the game was in hand with a 7-0 lead after the top of the seventh inning.
Ohtani, as a hitter, stayed patient at the plate, drawing two walks and two hits by choosing his pitches well. He did not force the issue, only striking out once and seeing the pitches well at the plate.
He has continued to produce at the plate, with his swing looking comfortable and his hitting choices returning to his usual level.
As a pitcher, Ohtani was stellar. He threw 58 strikes out of 89 pitches, with his rate in the zone being much better than his more recent game.
His ERA drops to a startling 0.74, keeping him firmly in the Cy Young race, though the competition is fierce and he looks like a long shot despite his impressive ability to limit runs.
Some notes on Shohei Ohtani’s start thus far:
*Less sweeper, more curveball than his past few starts.
*He trusts his fastball’s location and command more.
*The D-Backs are guessing on his pitches, and his sequence is good: 20 called strikes.pic.twitter.com/bmFeELKfkn— Nelson Espinal (@nelson__espinal) June 4, 2026
His fastball was down to start his outing, but it climbed in terms of velocity on a steady basis. The pitch had a good carry on it, generating three strikeouts and six whiffs.
He got a crazy 22 called strikes, painting corners well and keeping the hitters on their toes.
Ohtani is trending to put together a generational season, and games like Wednesday are the hallmark of a year that will go down in the history books as one of the best ever.
Dave Roberts said that Ohtani would be able to go as long as needed, with rest coming on Wednesday.
“I think him knowing he’s down tomorrow is mentally freeing going into tonight,” Roberts said before the game.
“And so, there is some value in him knowing he can empty the tank and know that he doesn’t have to go to it tomorrow as well.”
