Shohei Ohtani turned in his best pitching start with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday as he no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies through five innings.
Ohtani issued just one walk and collected five strikeouts on an efficient 68 pitches. He likely could have pitched another inning or two under normal circumstances, but the Dodgers did not want to stray from their plan.
Given Ohtani’s low pitch count and manager Dave Roberts having a conversation with him prior to the bottom of the fifth inning beginning, there was some thought that the right-hander would continue pitching.
“He wasn’t going to go back out,” Roberts said after the Dodgers’ 9-6 loss. “We’ve been very steadfast in every situation as far as innings for his usage. From one inning to two innings to three to four to five. We haven’t deviated from that.
“So I was trying to get his pulse for going forward, where he’s at, continuing to go to the sixth inning. And he says, ‘Feel OK.’ So that was good, but I’m not going to have a plan for five innings, and then he pitches well and say, ‘Hey, now you’re going to go six innings.’
“He’s too important. And if something happens, then that’s on me for changing it, and we haven’t done that all year. So I’m not going to do that right now.
“Yeah, I would’ve loved to have him go out there. If the conversation was, if he’s efficient, have him go to the sixth inning, that’s a different conversation. But it was a hard five innings, and that’s just the way it goes. Guys have to do their jobs.”
Although Ohtani has been limited to five innings as a pitcher in the regular season, he could potentially be extended during the playoffs.
“If there’s conversations among the powers that be — and Shohei included — if everyone’s in the conversation saying, ‘Hey, we’ll push him,’ that’s a different conversation,” Roberts explained.
“But what I knew going in was that it was going to be five innings, so that’s where it stops.”
Shohei Ohtani wants to pitch ‘as long as possible’
Ohtani suggested that he could have returned to the mound for the sixth inning against the Phillies, but understands why Roberts removed him.
“As a player I do want to pitch as long as possible, but I also understand and respect the decision that the front office and manager makes,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.
“Ultimately that’s what a player is supposed to do, is to make sure you fulfill the role you’re assigned. But as a player, you always want to pitch as long as possible.”
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