Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani shooting to increase pitching workload vs. Reds
For just the sixth time in his career, the Dodgers' star slugger struck out four times, and he narrowly missed striking out a fifth time in a 5-4, come-from-behind win Tuesday over the Reds, clinching a series win.
Ohtani (0-0, 1.50 ERA) will make his seventh start of the season. The right-hander has been building his arm strength coming off major elbow surgery in September 2023. He did not pitch last season.
After two starts of an inning apiece, Ohtani went two innings in his third and fourth starts. Then, in his past two, he pitched three innings. Last Monday at home against the Minnesota Twins, he allowed one run on four hits in a 5-2 Los Angeles win.
In his only other previous start against Cincinnati, Ohtani, then with the Los Angeles Angels, threw 1 1/3 shutout innings before leaving Game 1 of a doubleheader on Aug. 23, 2023. He departed after feeling tenderness in his right arm. It would be his final pitching appearance before his surgery.
The Dodgers hope to extend Ohtani's innings count to four on Wednesday.
The Reds, trying to avoid being swept in a series for the first time in 2025, will counter with right-hander Nick Martinez (9-9, 4.69 ERA), making his 22nd start of the season.
After starting the season 4-8, Martinez has won five of his past six starts, including his past three. Last Friday, he allowed two runs on four hits in five innings in Cincinnati's 7-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Reds have not been swept in their first 34 series of the year, eclipsing the previous club record of 32 series set in 1970. The Reds are the only team in the majors not to suffer a series sweep this season. They also have avoided being swept in the series finale five times, including most recently on July 23 against the Washington Nationals.
Tuesday night, the Reds led 3-2 in the fifth when they loaded the bases with none out and added only one run to take a 4-2 lead. The Dodgers tied the game in the seventh and won it in the ninth.
"It would have been nice if we could have spread it out, for sure, just because of what happened," Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said. "They blooped a ball into right, and then we moved guys back so the second run doesn't score, and then a ball falls in front."
While Ohtani was struggling at the plate Tuesday night, Dodgers catcher Will Smith picked up the slack. He drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the ninth inning and finished with two hits to raise his average to a National League-best .325.
Smith is also hitting .373 with runners in scoring position, second in the major leagues.
"It's honestly just the same approach I have all the time," he said. "[I'm] just trying to get a pitch to hit and then move forward."
"He just has a great way of controlling the strike zone, not chasing, and he knows how to get a base hit," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
--Field Level Media
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