Shohei Ohtani delivered his longest pitching performance of 2026 — going 7 innings for the first time this season and as a Dodger (since his second elbow surgery).
He struck out 8, walked zero, and threw 89 pitches with 15 whiffs in a dominant outing.
Yet the Dodgers continue to give him ZERO RUN SUPPORT! They’re just 2-7 in his last 9 starts and have scored nothing in his last 19 offensive innings on the mound. Ohtani now has a ridiculous 0.70 ERA (just 4 earned runs in 51.2 innings).
On the offensive side, Shohei busted out of a major slump: 0-for-18, his second-longest hitless drought of his career, and 0-12 in one series.
Am I worried? Will he be fine? Should he focus on one or another? Ben will answer it all this episode!
Plus: Ohtani’s honest (and mature) comments on his slump, NL Pitcher of the Month honors, and more.
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Intro
1:06 - Shohei Ohtani pitching performance
9:13 - Shohei Offensive Struggles
11:04 - Ben Verlander Guarantee
12:00 - Shohei Offensive Struggles
15:55 - Dramatic HBP
16:53 - NL Pitcher of the Month
17:47 - Outro
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