Shohei Ohtani pitches 6 innings with 10 strikeouts for his second win; Dodgers defeat Mets 8-2, handing them their eighth consecutive loss.

The series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets continued today, with Shohei Ohtani surprisingly only pitching and not batting in this game. He pitched 6 innings using 95 pitches, allowing only 2 hits, conceding 1 run, delivering 10 strikeouts and 2 walks, and generating 20 swings-and-misses throughout. Additionally, the lineup, including Hyeseong Kim, Teoscar Hernández, Dalton Rushing, and Kyle Tucker, successively homered. The Dodgers ultimately secured a three-game winning streak with an 8-2 victory, simultaneously handing the Mets their eighth consecutive loss.

In the first inning, Ohtani's first three pitches were somewhat off-target, none entering the strike zone, but he quickly adjusted, ultimately striking out Francisco Lindor with a 98 mph fastball. Against the next batter, Luis Robert Jr., the opponent hit a fly ball to center field, which was skillfully caught by Andy Pages. Subsequently, Ohtani forced Brett Baty to ground out, completing a three-up-three-down inning with 12 pitches.

In the second inning, Ohtani maintained his rhythm, using just one pitch to force Bo Bichette to ground out. Then, facing Francisco Alvarez, he cleverly mixed changeups and fastballs, causing Alvarez to watch the pitch enter the strike zone and take a strikeout. Next, he induced Carson Benge to hit a ground ball toward third base, handled by Max Muncy for the defensive play, allowing Ohtani to again achieve a three-up-three-down inning.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Dodgers provided offensive support for Ohtani. After two outs, Rushing hit a long drive to get on base. Then, Kim Hyeseong seized a high, misplaced sinker, pulling it to the right-field wall for a two-run home run—his first homer of the season—giving the Dodgers the initial lead.

In the third inning, Ohtani used only 5 pitches to make Marcus Semien chase an outside slider, resulting in a swing-and-miss strikeout. However, the next batter, MJ Melendez, caught a center-cut fastball and hit a long drive to left-center field. Facing a scoring opportunity crisis, Ohtani calmly responded, first striking out veteran Tommy Pham with a fastball, then battling Lindor through 11 pitches, ultimately striking him out with a 99.6 mph fastball to neutralize the threat.

Having used 47 pitches through the first three innings, Ohtani continued to display dominance in the fourth inning. Against Robert, he used only 4 pitches to induce a swing-and-miss strikeout. Then, he forced Baty to hit a ground ball toward the pitcher, which Ohtani personally handled and threw to first base for the out. Next, he made Bichette hit a ground ball toward shortstop, once again completing a three-up-three-down inning.

In the fifth inning, Ohtani battled Alvarez to a full count before issuing a walk. Subsequently, Benge hit a fly ball to left field that landed for a hit, but Alvarez, originally on first base, mistakenly thought it was caught and did not advance, resulting in a fielder's choice. Ohtani's control wavered, leading to a walk to Semien. Then, Melendez hit a right-field ground-rule double, ending Ohtani's streak of 33 consecutive innings without allowing a run. With runners on second and third in a crisis, Ohtani promptly stabilized, first striking out Pham and then forcing Lindor to hit an outfield fly ball for an out, successfully stopping the bleeding.

In the sixth inning, Ohtani remained on the mound. He used only 4 pitches to strike out Robert, then battled Baty through 7 pitches before inducing a swing-and-miss strikeout. Finally, he resolved Bichette with an inside splitter, firing three consecutive strikeouts in the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Mets proactively changed pitchers, with Tobias Myers taking the mound. However, he immediately threw a center-cut misplaced pitch that Hernández seized, launching a solo home run, allowing the Dodgers to extend their lead.

In the seventh inning, the Dodgers replaced Ohtani with Blake Treinen. Although he allowed a long hit by Benge, he used a strikeout to resolve the crisis at a critical moment.

In the later stages of the game, the Mets sent their seldom-used closer Devin Williams to pitch in the eighth inning. Upon entering, he was successively attacked by Hernández, Muncy, and Pages, filling the bases and creating a loaded situation. Subsequently, Rushing, serving as the designated hitter in this game, seized the opportunity and blasted a grand slam home run. The Mets then switched to Austin Warren to try to stop the bleeding, but Tucker still added a right-field solo home run, settling the game's outcome.

In the ninth inning, the Mets managed to score 1 run back via a hit, but it was irrelevant to the overall result. The Dodgers ultimately secured a major victory with an 8-2 final score.