Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani entered Monday’s game against the Colorado Rockies with just three hits in his last 22 at-bats, and broke out in a big way during the Dodgers’ win.
Ohtani went 3-for-4 with two walks in the extra-innings thriller, hitting a home run and two singles while tallying four RBIs. Through his last five games, Ohtani only tallied three hits—none of which went for extra bases. He also only had one RBI during that stretch.
The reigning MVP’s four RBIs proved crucial, as the Dodgers took an 8-7 win in the 11th inning—their first extra-inning game of the season.
“Tonight was the first time in a while that he really looked like Shohei,” Roberts said. “Took a cutter which was actually a pretty good pitch for the homer, and then lines the ball, infield drawn in, and then gets another hit. So, yeah, tonight looked more like Shohei.”
The homer was Ohtani’s 19th of the season as well as the 299th of his career. Additionally, he upped his RBI total to 55. His batting averaged now sits at .294, and has a .944 OPS, which leads the Dodgers.
Ohtani’s brief skid didn’t affect the Dodgers too much, as they went 5-2 across their two series prior to their matchup against the Rockies at home. He dealt with a minor bicep issue, keeping him out of Saturday’s game against the Padres, but looks to be in top shape after returning.
When is Shohei Ohtani Pitching Again?
While Ohtani’s offense struggled for a little bit, his pitching has been stellar throughout the entire season so far. He has a 1.79 ERA through 14 starts so far this season, as well as 95 strikeouts in 85.2 innings pitched.
His last outing came against the Padres on Friday, where he struck out nine through six innings as the Dodgers went on to grab a late win.
Ohtani isn’t slated to pitch against the Rockies during this series, but he will likely take the mound against the Diamondbacks over the weekend in the Dodgers’ final series before the All-Star break.
Are you glad to see Shohei Ohtani back to his usual form?
