Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani has a new eye-popping ERA after taming Giants

The Los Angeles Dodgers ended their four-game losing streak on Wednesday night behind another stellar outing from two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who shut down the San Francisco Giants in a 4-0 victory at Dodger Stadium. Pitching without serving as designated hitter for the fourth time this season, Ohtani tossed seven scoreless innings while allowing four hits, striking out eight, and walking two across a season-high 105 pitches.

The performance lowered Ohtani’s ERA to an MLB-best 0.82 through seven starts and 44 innings, officially qualifying him for the ERA leaderboard. His mark is now the second-lowest ERA by a Dodgers pitcher through seven starts since earned runs became an official National League statistic in 1912. No one besides Fernando Valenzuela has done better, as he owned a 0.29 ERA through seven starts in 1981

Ohtani also joined rare company in baseball history. He became just the sixth pitcher since 1913 to record a sub-0.85 ERA with at least 50 strikeouts over his first seven starts of a season, joining names such as Jacob deGrom, Johan Santana, and Zack Greinke.

Los Angeles needed every bit of Ohtani’s brilliance after entering the game averaging only 2.9 runs per contest in his starts this season. The Dodgers finally provided support Wednesday, beginning with back-to-back solo home runs from Santiago Espinal and Mookie Betts in the third inning. It was only the second time this season Los Angeles homered in consecutive at-bats. Betts’ blast traveled 414 feet and was his first homer since returning from the injured list earlier in the week.

The Dodgers added two more runs in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Teoscar Hernandez and a sacrifice fly from Alex Call. Kyle Tucker also continued his recent turnaround, doubling twice during a productive 19-game stretch in which he is batting .297 with 10 doubles and a .910 OPS.

Ohtani dazzled with a fastball that reached 100.6 mph and a sweeper that generated four strikeouts and 17 total strikes. San Francisco threatened in the seventh after consecutive hits from Willy Adames and Matt Chapman, but the inning ended when Adames was doubled off second base on a deep flyout caught by Andy Pages at the warning track.

The series wraps up Thursday with Landen Roupp (5-3, 3.09 ERA) taking the ball for the Giants against right-hander Emmet Sheehan (2-1, 4.79 ERA).

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