Shohei Ohtani’s two-way heroics lift Dodgers to series win over Padres

SAN DIEGO –– Shohei Ohtani raked at the start of the night. He roared when his outing as a pitcher was over. Then, he and the Dodgers rolled to a series win in San Diego.

Nearly a month removed from his last two-way start, the two-way star was at the center of it all, lifting the Dodgers to a 4-0 win over the Padres with a leadoff home run and five scoreless innings pitched.

For one majestic night, he quieted all the early-season concern about the toll of his dueling roles.

It had been a minute since Ohtani last had a game like this.

In his previous three pitching appearances, the four-time MVP had been held out of the Dodgers’ lineup as a hitter. The three times he did play both ways earlier this season, he went just 1-for-10 at the plate with no home runs.

The closest recent analogue came last October, in Ohtani’s historic three-homer, 10-strikeout tour de force in the National League Championship Series.

The stakes weren’t as high Wednesday. But his performance was cut from the same cloth.

On the first pitch of the night, Ohtani jumped on an elevated fastball from Padres starter Randy Vásquez and hit an historic leadoff home run. In last year’s NLCS, he became the first pitcher in MLB history to lead off a game with a long ball. By doing so again Wednesday, he replicated the feat for the first time in a regular-season game.

From there, Ohtani took over on the mound, retiring his first nine batters before working out of jams in the fourth and fifth innings.

The latter threat was most dangerous, after the Padres (29-20) loaded the bases with one out and the top of their order due up. But Ohtani responded by getting Fernando Tatis Jr. to chase an outside sweeper and ground into an inning-ending double-play.

He flexed his arms and let out a long roar as he skipped off the mound for the final time.

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By that point, the Dodgers (31-19) had already extended their lead. Max Muncy doubled to lead off the second, then scored on a sacrifice fly from Teoscar Hernández. Ohtani walked to begin the fifth, then scored on an RBI single from Kyle Tucker.

There would be no further dramatics down the stretch. The Dodgers bullpen shut the door with four scoreless innings. Hernández added an insurance solo blast in the ninth.

And by the end of the night, no performance was as memorable as Ohtani’s, dazzling both by the way he hit the ball and threw it.

What it means

Just like when they arrived at Petco Park at the start of this week, the Dodgers leave sitting in first place in the National League West division.

That wasn’t the case after Monday’s series-opener, when the Padres moved a half-game in front by shutting the Dodgers out in a 1-0 win. After a come-from-behind victory on Tuesday, however, the Dodgers returned the favor in Wednesday’s sold-out finale, moving 1 ½ games clear of their Southern California rivals with their NL-leading sixth shutout this season.

Who’s hot

Ohtani, obviously. And no longer just as a pitcher.

While his 0.73 ERA remains best in the majors among pitchers with at least 40 innings (his 49 total frames are one shy of the qualification threshold at the 50-game mark), his hitting has also finally returned to near league-leading form over the last week.

By going 1-for-4 with a walk on Wednesday, Ohtani has now reached safely multiple times in seven-straight games as a hitter. In that stretch, he is hitting .481, has gotten aboard in 20 of 34 plate appearances, has seven extra-base hits, and has driven in 10 runs.

With that, his season batting average is up to .272 and his OPS to .885, the highest they have been since the end of April.

And while his Cy Young case will generate season-long intrigue, he is already well on his way to a fifth MVP honor, already the first player in the National League to eclipse 3.0 combined wins above replacement this year.

Who’s not

Anyone who felt Ohtani would be better served forgoing his full-time two-way role amid his early-season scuffles.

The toll of his tasks still presents risks, no doubt. It was only last week that manager Dave Roberts gave him back-to-back days off as a hitter after sensing the slugger was struggling with fatigue.

Wednesday, however, was a reminder of the unprecedented impact Ohtani can make when he’s excelling in both phases; when his lifelong dream enters the realm of reality.

Up next

The Dodgers are off on Thursday, before going to Milwaukee for the final leg of this three-city road trip. Justin Wrobleski (6-1, 2.49 ERA) will face Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson (1-1, 3.50) in Friday’s series-opener.