Ohtani’s Pitching Woes and Dodgers’ 5-4 Victory Over the Rays

In the June 17, 2026 game at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 to complete a sweep. Freddie Freeman’s two-run, 407-foot homer in the sixth off Kevin Kelly gave the Dodgers a 5-4 lead after Shohei Ohtani’s fifth-inning collapse turned a 2-0 lead into a 4-2 deficit. Ohtani left after six innings, having allowed four runs on seven hits, then pinch-hit for DH Miguel Rojas and grounded out. Alex Vesia earned the save.

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Ohtani entered with left-knee inflammation and a blister on the middle finger of his right pitching hand, which bled in the fifth inning. The knee soreness had previously forced him out of a start against the Pirates. The combined issues marked his first multi-run inning of the season and his first back-to-back starts allowing more than one run per inning.

ESPN

• Ohtani’s ERA rose from 0.74 pre-Rays to 1.47 after the game, second among pitchers with >=50 innings.

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• He delivered 91 pitches, striking out five, walking one; the Dodgers scored five runs on ten hits, while Ohtani gave up seven earned runs on 16 hits over nine innings in his last two starts, and his recent batting line includes five homers in nine games and a .367 average.

ESPN

Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani felt comfortable taking the at-bat and that the team sees no immediate need to adjust his schedule. Catcher Dalton Rushing noted the organization expects near-perfection but sees no cause for concern. Ohtani called the issues “just part of the game.”

Sports Illustrated

Analysts said Ohtani’s two recent sub-par starts have hurt his National League Cy Young chances. With a 1.47 ERA over 12 starts, he trails Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski (1.34 ERA) and Phillies pitcher Christopher Sánchez (1.82 ERA), raising pressure on future outings.

Sports Illustrated

• “There's not a lot of situations where you feel 100%, so I just took it as that, and it's big that we were able to win a game like this.” — Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers

CBS Sports

• “Obviously, we expect close to perfection out of Sho every time he goes out there,” — Dalton Rushing, Dodgers catcher

ESPN

• “So I feel good that right now I don't see why he won't make his next start (as scheduled).” — Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager

CBS Sports

• “I don't think it's been affecting my performance.” — Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers

Bleacher Report

Pre-game ERA is reported as both 1.06 and 0.74; post-game ERA is consistently 1.47, but innings pitched are listed as 67.2 or 73.2. No detailed medical report on the knee or blister is provided.

CBS Sports

Ohtani is slated to start against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, while Roki Sasaki will pitch Friday versus the Baltimore Orioles. The Dodgers aim to sustain momentum while monitoring Ohtani’s health.

CBS Sports