Shohei Ohtani Hit Another Level After Allowing 1st Earned Run

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani didn’t get to hit Wednesday night , but he made up for it with a dominant performance on the mound . It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. Apr 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani reacts against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Ohtani gave up his first earned run of the season in the fifth inning, and he could’ve given up several more if he hadn’t pitched his way out of a jam. How did the Mets score a run on Shohei Ohtani? Ohtani walked two batters and gave up a hit in the first three batters of the inning, though he was saved by a bit of confusion on the base paths by the Mets’ Francisco Alvarez.

With one out and men on first and second, though, MJ Melendez hit a ground-rule double, sending Carson Benge home to score and Marcus Semien to third base. All of the sudden, the Dodgers were only up 2-1, and the Mets were threatening to tie or even take the lead. How did Shohei Ohtani get out of the jam?

With his back against the wall, Ohtani turned it up a notch. Before the next two at-bats against Tommy Pham and Francisco Lindor, Ohtani’s four-seam fastball had been about 96 or 97 mph for the most part. For four straight fastballs to Pham and Lindor, though, he threw noticeably harder : 100.