Shohei Ohtani works 2 scoreless innings and strikes out side in 2nd on 31st birthday
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani gestures during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani gestures during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani gestures during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani worked two scoreless innings against the Houston Astros on Saturday in his fourth mound start of the season, striking out the side in order in the second while pitching on his 31st birthday.
Ohtani allowed one hit and threw 31 pitches, 21 for strikes. He fanned Christian Walker, Victor Caratini and Yanier Diaz — all swinging — to conclude his latest outing as an opener as he works his way back from elbow surgery.
Advertisement
In his previous start a week earlier, Ohtani threw the fastest pitch of his career at 101.7 mph. This time, he hit triple digits only once — a 100.9 mph fastball that Caratini fouled off.
Dodgers organist Dieter Ruehle played one line of 'Happy Birthday' as Ohtani walked to the dugout after the second inning. Before the game, the Los Angeles grounds crew wrote the message 'HB Sho' in the dirt.
Isaac Paredes led off against Ohtani with a single to left. Ohtani then got Cam Smith to hit a comebacker that second baseman Tommy Edman turned into a double play. Jose Altuve followed with a groundout as Ohtani retired the side on 10 pitches.
Ohtani has allowed one run in six innings this season for a 1.50 ERA.
Advertisement
The three-time MVP did not pitch last season, his first with the Dodgers, while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He made 86 mound starts over five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, going 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA.
Batting in his customary leadoff spot, Ohtani grounded out in the first inning and again in the second.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
5 minutes ago
- Washington Post
João Pedro doesn't celebrate goals for Chelsea, saying former team `gave everything to me'
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — João Pedro had just scored on a 20-yard curling shot in his first start for Chelsea, putting his team ahead in a Club World Cup semifinal less than a week after signing with the London power. He took two steps to start to celebrate and then he stopped.
New York Times
6 minutes ago
- New York Times
Real Madrid's Club World Cup semi-final preparation disrupted by flight delay
Real Madrid failed to attend their pre-match media activities ahead of Wednesday's Club World Cup semi-final against Paris St. Germain following a flight delay caused by storms in the Miami and New York areas. Coach Xabi Alonso's press conference and the mixed zone interview session with players Thibaut Courtois, Federico Valverde and Jacobo Ramón were initially scheduled for 7:30 and 7:45 pm ET respectively, at MetLife Stadium. Advertisement However, Madrid's scheduled 4 pm flight from the team's Miami base was delayed an hour by adverse weather conditions. FIFA initially delayed Alonso's press conference to 8:15 pm and made plans to scrap the mixed zone. The Athletic learned from a Madrid source at 7:28 pm that the team was still in mid-air and then, six minutes later, FIFA announced the cancellation of all Madrid press activities for the day. Madrid touched down safely at 8:52 pm. 'He's not coming?! Really?!' PSG coach Luis Enrique said, when informed by The Athletic that Alonso wouldn't do his press conference. 'It doesn't change anything to me, I didn't know about the flight, I hope they can arrive normally.' Madrid had initially planned to stay in New York ahead of the semifinal after defeating Borussia Dortmund in last weekend's quarterfinal. However, the club changed plans during the tournament. After investing heavily in their base in Palm Beach, Fla., the decision was made to return there while preparing for the final stages of the competition. The required attendance of media activities is covered under the Club World Cup's list of regulations, with section 4.3 (e) stating the clubs are responsible for 'attending all media conferences and other media activities organised by FIFA in accordance with the FIFA Media and Marketing Regulations, as well as with any other FIFA circular letters, guidelines, directives and/or decisions.' Section 4.5 adds: 'All participating clubs undertake to ensure that their players and officials attend and participate in all official activities and events including, without limitation, any Team Arrival Meeting, Match Coordination Meeting, press conference and other media and marketing activities in accordance with the FIFA Media and Marketing Regulations.' FIFA had not responded to a request for comment from The Athletic by the time of publication, but a Real Madrid spokesperson said the club was not anticipating any fine or discipline for missing out on its obligation.
New York Times
14 minutes ago
- New York Times
Sean Manaea eager to re-join Mets after final rehab start: ‘I just felt healthy'
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — With a smile, Sean Manaea said one of the main things he learned while lingering on the injured list all season — and experiencing multiple setbacks along the way — is Manaea After his final rehab outing on Tuesday, he doesn't have to wait much longer. Manaea, sidelined in spring training due to a strained right oblique muscle and then slowed down more recently because of left elbow discomfort, said he is ready to make his season debut in Kansas City on Sunday. Advertisement 'Very much so,' Manaea said. 'I'm just ready to be back and help this team win.' Manaea is expected to enter the game after starter Clay Holmes and work as a piggyback reliever on Sunday. The Mets don't want Holmes, who pitched Tuesday in Baltimore to face a long layoff with the All-Star break upcoming after the series against the Royals. In his final tuneup, Manaea threw 3 2/3 innings (73 pitches). He gave up three runs (courtesy of Rodolfo Castro's three-run home run on a hanging sweeper), four hits and one walk. He recorded four strikeouts. Manaea's four-seam fastball averaged 90.6 mph (last year it averaged 92.2 mph). 'It was good — left the one slider hanging but other than that, I thought I competed pretty well, the pitches were good for the most part,' Manaea said. 'More importantly, I just felt healthy. Overall, it was a big success.' Manaea's outing marked his sixth rehab start. Previously, he reached as high as 62 pitches and 5 1/3 innings while appearing for Syracuse on June 19. But from there, he felt abnormal soreness. A subsequent MRI revealed a loose body, which is typically a small piece of the bone that breaks off the elbow. After a cortisone injection and a short shutdown period, Manaea returned to the mound on July 2, throwing 61 pitches over three innings. Manaea said he feels like he is past the elbow issue (his other setback was due to the oblique issue and it happened in late March). 'After today, I felt good all the way through,' Manaea said. 'Still gotta take care of it, but definitely not worried about it.' For the last handful of weeks, the Mets weathered a cruel storm of pitching injuries. While waiting on Manaea, they dealt with the absences of Kodai Senga (hamstring), Tylor Megill (elbow), Griffin Canning (Achilles) and Paul Blackburn (shoulder). The rash of injuries most recently left their rotation with David Peterson, Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas — who is just three starts into his Mets tenure after a lat injury in spring training cost him significant time — which forced the Mets to rely on spot starters and the bullpen to absorb other innings. At last, however, New York is getting healthier. Advertisement With Manaea in line for a return this weekend along with Senga, who threw a rehab outing Sunday and should start on Friday, the rotation's outlook for the second half suddenly appears sunnier. 'There's no reason we can't do great things,' Manaea said. 'We already are. Just having me and Kodai it's just going to be great as well.' Despite Manaea's absence, the Mets' starters produced a 3.36 ERA, fourth-best in MLB heading into Tuesday's games. But over the last three and a half weeks (since June 13), that ERA figure ballooned to 5.61. A healthy Manaea adds to the rotation's chances of recapturing success. Before posting career bests in ERA (3.47) and innings (181 2/3) last season, Manaea, 33, resembled a league-average pitcher with precisely a 100 ERA+ (generally league average) from 2016 to 2023. But he emerged in the second half of 2024 as a front-line starter. Last summer, Manaea dropped his arm slot to mimic Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale, a fellow lefty. He lowered his walk rate from 10 percent in the first half to 6.8 percent in the second half while increasing his strikeout rate from 24 percent to 26 percent. He finished 11th in the balloting for the National League Cy Young Award. After opting out of his original deal with the Mets, Manaea re-signed last winter for three years, $75 million. The deal, which contains deferrals, represents the largest contract for a pitcher under Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, who started his tenure in late 2023. (Top photo of Sean Manaea at a game last October in New York: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
