Shohei Ohtani demonstrated his pitching prowess once again during his latest outing as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, impressing with nearly flawless performance on the mound. Rookie catcher Dalton Rushing, catching Ohtani for the first time in the regular season, highlighted the two-way star’s strong velocity and sharp breaking balls in Sunday’s game at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani’s Nearly Perfect Performance in Second Dodgers Start
In his second pitching appearance for the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani kept the Washington Nationals off the scoreboard, allowing no runs or hits while throwing 18 pitches, 12 of them strikes. His dominant inning began with retiring leadoff hitter CJ Abrams on a ground out. Although James Wood reached base following a fielding error by Mookie Betts and advanced to second on a wild pitch, Ohtani finished the inning strong by striking out Luis García Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe for his first strikeouts as a Dodger.
This outing displayed a marked improvement from Ohtani’s first pitching appearance, in which he had given up one run on two hits. The combination of explosiveness and control helped him maintain command and keep opposing batters off balance throughout the inning.
Rookie Catcher Rushing Commends Ohtani’s Control and Initiative
Behind the plate, Dalton Rushing noticed the impact of Ohtani’s velocity and breaking pitches, stating,
“It looked good. Everything was, obviously, explosive,”
adding,
“Velo[city] was good. Throwing breaking balls, sweepers in the zone allowed us to get ahead and put guys away.”
—Dalton Rushing, Dodgers rookie catcher
Rushing also observed that Ohtani actively participated in pitch selection rather than relying entirely on the catcher’s guidance.
“He actually called some of his own pitches. But, essentially, we were on the same page before the game,”
Rushing noted, emphasizing how this collaborative approach led to success.
“To see him have success, obviously, that’s a good sign.”
—Dalton Rushing, Dodgers rookie catcher
Ohtani’s Overall Impact Shines in Dodgers’ 13-7 Victory
Shohei Ohtani’s performance extended beyond pitching as he contributed significantly at the plate. In the high-scoring game against the Nationals, Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple, five RBIs, and three runs scored, helping lead the Dodgers to a 13-7 triumph.
While details remain uncertain regarding when Ohtani will return to pitch next or how many innings he might pitch, each successful appearance signals that he is quickly regaining his form as a formidable two-way player for Los Angeles.