Shohei Ohtani did it all on Wednesday for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but his effort at the plate and on the mound was still not enough to prevent a loss in the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani started for the Dodgers on the mound, pitching for four innings and allowing only an earned run on two hits. He was in great control of his stuff, as no Cardinals hitter got a free pass against the reigning National League Most Valuable Player, and he also racked up eight strikeouts. The Japanese superstar did his work with his bat as well, launching a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to put LA ahead after he gave up a run in the top of the frame..
Ohtani was replaced on the mound after he struck out the side in the fourth frame. It went downhill on the mound for the Dodgers after he exited, as Justin Wrobleski, Alex Vesia and Brock Stewart each allowed a run while the Dodgers failed to supply enough runs to overcome St. Louis, which came away with a 5-3 victory.
Ohtani, who has made a fair share of historic performances in his MLB career, added another remarkable feat to his ever-growing baseball resume with what he accomplished versus the Cardinals, per OptaSTATS.
As noted by OptaSTATS following the Dodgers' loss to St. Louis, Ohtani is the first player in the big leagues dating back to 1920 (when RBI became an official stat) to have hit a home run, collect at least eight strikeouts, have more RBIs than runs allowed and draw more walks than allowed.
It was just unfortunate that the Dodgers failed to cap Ohtani's otherwise fantastic day with a victory. The good news for Los Angeles is that it remains on top of the National League West standings despite a rough stretch that saw the Dodgers lose four of their last seven outings and six of their last 10.
After dealing with the Cardinals, the Dodgers are in line to face the high-powered Toronto Blue Jays in a three-game series that begins this Friday at Dodger Stadium.
