Shohei Ohtani took a no-hitter into the 6th — but Dodgers ace was still frustrated afterward originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Shohei Ohtani delivered another jaw-dropping two-way performance for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he was still frustrated about one thing. Making his ninth start on Wednesday, Ohtani pitched six hitless innings while giving up one earned run on four walks. He struck out seven Colorado Rockies hitters. Ohtani also recorded his ninth home run of the season in the 4-1 win.
For most pitchers, taking a no-hit bid into the sixth inning is a tremendous achievement in itself. However, for Ohtani, the bar of excellence is very high. Instead of celebrating his near-perfect outing, the three-time MVP chose to critique his command after the game.
“I was constantly battling my command,” Ohtani said, via his interpreter. “To give credit to our defense, they really set the tone today. Again, just command was off, and I just felt like I was lacking it and felt frustration.”
Ohtani walked four times and also hit a batter. The Japanese ace shared that he dislikes walks even more than allowing hits.
“As a pitcher, I really dislike walking batters,” Ohtani said. “Personally, I think it’s much worse than giving up hits.”
That kind of mindset is why Ohtani is a different beast than any other in baseball.
MORE: Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani is primed to win his first Cy Young Award
Shohei Ohtani has been nearly unhittable this season
Through nine starts, Shohei Ohtani is preparing a solid case for the NL Cy Young and even the MVP. Despite facing nine different teams, there has been one game where he gave up more than one earned run (7IP, 2 ER, 8 K vs Houston Astros).
There have been five shutout outings and three one-run starts. Moreover, except for one, in every other start, he has at least pitched six innings. This dominant start has been the reason behind his insane 0.82 ERA.
Don’t be surprised if Ohtani wins his fourth MVP this year. This one would feel different, though; unlike the previous MVP seasons, this one could have a dominant pitching contribution.
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