When the Los Angeles Dodgers took the field against the Cincinnati Reds in the finale of their series, the pressure was on for Shohei Ohtani to not only show up at the plate but also get things going behind the mound, where he earned his 11th start of the season.
Looking to put his last start behind him, where he almost doubled his previous season-high hit total while surrendering five runs versus just three strikeouts, Ohtani took the mound against a struggling team down 0-2 and went on to dominate, throwing nine Ks over while deploying a new curveball he's been holding back all season long. This new twist on his typical stuff gave the Reds fits, with Ohtani throwing 19 curves against Cincinnati alone versus 11 over his other ten starts, according to Dodgers Nation's Doug McKain.
To make matters all the more impressive, Ohtani hit his marks and kept the Reds to just one scored run – a home run – over five complete innings, the first time the two-way star has completed the fifth in a Dodgers uniform.
Suddenly in line to earn his first win as a member of the Blue and White, Ohtani the hitter helped his case at the plate, connecting on one of his five attempts at the plate while scoring one of the team's five runs. Teoscar Hernandez got a hit, as did Andy Pages, and the unlikely duo of Kie Hernandez and Dalton Rushing each recorded a pair of RBIs off their hits, putting the Dodgers ahead and the Reds' sweep streak in danger. Michael Conforto hit a home run in his surprisingly hot August for insurance, and in the end, LA secured their star pitcher his first win.
Has Ohtani suddenly added a new regular pitch to his bag of tricks? Or was this more a chance to put something on tape while the MVP was really feeling himself, forcing opposing hitters to prepare for a hit he may only throw occasionally? Either way, with five innings in the bag and a chance to keep getting better, it's clear Ohtani is going to be a weapon for the Dodgers on both sides of the plate, no matter how they decide to deploy his talents.
