Ohtani lowers – Shohei Ohtani has delivered yet another two-way performance in the Dodgers’ 7-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, retiring the first 11 batters in six shutout innings and lowering his ERA to 0.74. With his batting average up to .301 and a .941 OPS after reach
PHOENIX — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ frustrations have started to seep in, and they keep running into the same problem: there are only so many ways to describe what Shohei Ohtani is doing before the words run out.
In Wednesday night’s 7-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ohtani didn’t just exceed expectations. He retired the first 11 batters he faced at Chase Field and then kept tightening the game with six shutout innings that allowed only two hits and one walk, dropping his ERA to 0.74.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith summed it up after the June 3 win with a blunt assessment: “The best player,’’ Smith said, “that’s ever walked on this earth.’’ Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo went further, calling Ohtani “from another planet.”
Ohtani’s night wasn’t limited to the mound. He stepped to the plate six times, reached base five times on three hits and two walks, and raised his batting average to a season-high .301 with a .941 OPS.
The statistical fingerprints are starting to stand out as well: it’s the third-lowest ERA in the first 10 starts of a season in MLB history. It’s also only the fourth time in baseball history that a player has pitched at least six shutout innings and reached base five or more times—last accomplished in 1964 by New York Yankees starter Mel Stottlemyre.
Even the people closest to the pressure still sound like they can’t fully explain what they’re seeing. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Ohtani is “the best way I can define it” as a player who can play in another league “above the major leagues.” He described the constant strain on opposing lineups: “You know where he is at all times in the lineup. you are budgeting to not let him beat you because he’s just so unpredictable. and there is no weakness.” Lovullo added: “It’s freakish what he’s able to do. You know where he is at all times in the lineup…” and concluded. “He’s the best player I’ve ever seen. and I’ve been around some really. really good players.’’.
For Dodgers veteran infielder Miguel Rojas, the tension is less about awe and more about how easily people misjudge what Ohtani can do.
Rojas said, “I really hate when people start making assumptions that he can’t hit as well when he pitches, or he can’t pitch as well when he hits, because someone as talented as Shohei, he can do anything.” He added, “You’re seeing it every night.’’
That combination—pitching dominance and hitting production—has pushed the conversation beyond typical comparisons. Ohtani has already been the league’s home run leader twice. the league’s slugging leader three times. and he has hit at least .300 twice. What’s different now is the way his pitching and hitting are overlapping in the same season in a way that few fans can remember ever happening.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts framed it as a career-defining stretch. He said this would be “the greatest season of my career. ” citing his 2024 production of 54 homers and 59 stolen bases. but noting that he never pitched in that year and was recovering from Tommy John surgery. Roberts emphasized the rare blend: “Absolutely,’’ Roberts said. “I mean. what’s more unique. being one of one. the 50/50 club. or throw 165 innings and hit 30-something homers and have a .950 OPS?’’.
Ohtani, asked about where he is in the calendar, didn’t pretend the season is finished. “I like where I’m at,” he said. “But it’s still May [actually June]. I do want to be able to look back halfway through the season and see where things are at.” He added. “But I’m pleased with where I’m at right now.”.
There’s another reason his start keeps turning into a bigger storyline than a typical breakout: it forces everyone to decide how to measure him. Some see the possibility of a fifth MVP plaque. Others are already talking about what it would take for him to win his first Cy Young award.
Ohtani’s pursuit is unmistakable. He is 6-2 with an MLB-leading 0.74 ERA among starters. He’s pitched 61 innings this year. just one inning shy of qualifying for the ERA title. and has surrendered five runs and 30 hits. His hitting line adds to the case, with 10 homers, 33 RBI, and a .419 on-base percentage.
Roberts described the mental shift: “I’ve noticed with Shohei, every run is a premium,’’ he said. “He’s literally trying to throw a shutout every single time he goes out there, where I don’t know if every starter has that mindset.’’
In a season full of star pitching, Ohtani’s numbers have to be seen beside what other contenders are doing. Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies is 7-2 with a 1.46 ERA. Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers is 6-2 with a 1.65 ERA and has struck out 108 batters with his 103-mph fastball. Milwaukee teammate Kyle Harrison is 7-1 with a 1.57 ERA. And San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller has a 0.72 ERA and has been perfect in 17 save opportunities.
All of that reinforces Roberts’s warning about the Cy Young race: “You have one or two rough starts, and you can kiss the Cy Young award goodbye.”
The season story is also changing in the background, without anyone having to say it out loud. Ohtani has been kept out of the starting lineup for two consecutive days to give him a breather. and he responded with a surge at the plate—hitting .435 with seven doubles. two triples. three homers. 16 RBI and a 1.254 OPS in the Dodgers’ last 20 games.
Rojas returned to the point that has defined much of Ohtani’s impact this year: the expectation that he could be exceptional as a two-way player arrived with him. but what happened after that has exceeded even long-time baseball frames of reference. Rojas said, “What can you say?. We’re watching the show like everyone else.”.
The Dodgers are trying to chase their third consecutive World Series title—something only the Yankees and Oakland A’s have accomplished. Ohtani’s season has become part of that chase. but it has also become something broader: a reminder that. sometimes. baseball doesn’t just produce highlights. It produces a new baseline—one that makes every comparison feel smaller than the moment itself.
Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers Arizona Diamondbacks MLB ERA 0.74 Cy Young MVP two-way player Will Smith Geraldo Perdomo Torey Lovullo Dave Roberts Miguel Rojas