Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers’ pitching dominance draws Dave Roberts response

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds by a final score of 5-1 on Wednesday. Shohei Ohtani led the way with nine strikeouts on the mound, while the pitching staff overall recorded 19 strikeouts. LA’s 19 strikeouts was the franchise’s highest mark in a nine inning game in the last 125 seasons, according to Sarah Langs. After the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts reacted to the Dodgers pitching’s strikeout dominance against the Reds.

“I did appreciate the 19 strikeouts tonight,” Roberts told reporters, via SportsNet LA. “That’s a big number. Speaks to what our guys can do with the talent that we have, the swing and miss. So, really good performance. I think for us to go into the off day and feel good about our (bullpen) and our starters, you know, going into this next series. Yeah, they performed really well… All those guys were great.”

As mentioned, Ohtani pitched well. Shohei recorded nine strikeouts across five innings while allowing only one run. The bullpen handled the rest, shutting down the Reds over the next four innings. Jack Dreyer and Justin Wrobleski each struck out two hitters in their innings of work, while Blake Treinen and Edgardo Henriquez each recorded three strikeouts.

For those who may not be aware, teams must get 27 outs to win a nine inning baseball game. The fact that 19 of those outs came via the strikeout on Wednesday is impressive to say the least. Perhaps the Reds just had a difficult game, but the Dodgers’ pitching staff still deserves credit. They were clearly on top of their game.

Los Angeles will begin a three-game series at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night following Thursday’s off-day. At 77-57, the Dodgers currently hold a two-game lead in the National League West standings over the San Diego Padres. LA will look to further build its lead in the division with a big weekend.