Shohei Ohtani silenced the San Francisco Giants and snapped the Los Angeles Dodgers’ four-game slide Wednesday, delivering seven scoreless innings that left his ERA at an MLB-best 0.82 and the Dodgers with a 4-0 victory at Dodger Stadium. Working as a pitcher-only for the fourth time this season, Ohtani allowed four hits, walked two and struck out eight while throwing a season-high 105 pitches; his fastball touched 100.6 mph.
Ohtani cruised through six dominant innings before a two-out rally in the seventh by Willy Adames and Matt Chapman forced a mound visit by pitching coach Mark Prior. Ohtani stayed in the game and escaped when Drew Gilbert’s deep drive sent Andy Pages to the warning track, where a catch and quick relay produced an inning-ending double play. It was the highest pitch total of Ohtani’s Dodgers career and capped another start in which the former two-way superstar has focused exclusively on the mound.
The Dodgers’ offense picked timely spots to support him. Santiago Espinal and Mookie Betts opened the scoring with back-to-back homers off Giants starter Robbie Ray in the third, and Los Angeles added two more runs in a fourth-inning rally — the first time the club had scored more than three runs since last Wednesday. The win lifts the Dodgers to 25-18, one-half game behind the San Diego Padres in the NL West.
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Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani could receive a full off day Thursday as the team continues its plan to manage his workload in what the Dodgers hope will be his first full season primarily as a pitcher in Los Angeles. That strategy has included giving Ohtani several pitcher-only starts so he can rest from the rigors of being a two-way player while preserving his elite form on the mound.
Ohtani’s early-season numbers have drawn historical comparisons; the article pointed to “Fernandomania” as a Dodgers-era precedent for a dominant left-handed ace carrying a club. Entering Wednesday his career MLB ERA stood at 2.86, but his 2026 campaign has operated on another level — a stretch that has him discussed as a possible All-Star Game starting pitcher and at the center of early Cy Young chatter. BetMGM lists Paul Skenes ahead of Ohtani at +400 in Cy Young odds, while Ohtani remains the heavy favorite at -325 to win a fifth MVP.
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Despite the eye-popping ERA — which the article notes is unsustainable over an entire season — Ohtani’s peripherals and consistency have been dazzling: he has not allowed more than one earned run in any start this year, and even his statistically “worst” outings have been quality starts. Yet the Dodgers’ offense has been inconsistent at times; Los Angeles lost each of Ohtani’s previous three starts before Wednesday because the bats failed to produce enough support. For now, however, the focus is on preserving Ohtani’s health and riding his nearly untouchable pitching as the Dodgers try to steady their season.
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