Straight Talk: Pitch-and-sit Sho at peak performance as Dodgers stop skid

May 13, 2026: Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. "Straight Talk" is a regular feature in which The Sporting Tribune's John E. Gibson offers a full translation of media availability with Dodgers Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.

He will also help translate when Lakers star Rui Hachimura and LA Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida are asked questions in Japanese. The job of interpreters in the heat of the moment is difficult without the ability to write down questions and answers and re-hear responses for proper context. That's where John comes in to help.

John currently works as a Japanese-English interpreter and covered pro baseball in Japan for about 20 years. His experience as a sports reporter includes stints at The Orange County Register, The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, The Redlands Daily Facts, The Yomiuri Shimbun’s English newspaper in Tokyo and The Epoch Times. LOS ANGELES – Pitching-only Shohei Ohtani fires seven scoreless innings, scattering four hits and a pair of walks, while fanning eight on Wednesday to help the host Los Angeles Dodgers blank the San Francisco Giants 4-0 to halt a four-game slide.

Ohtani, who said postgame he is “young” and feels like he is at the top of his game, lowers his ERA to 0. 82. Q: Shohei, first, seven shutout innings, you were efficient.