Share and Follow
HOUSTON –– The initial four innings were a struggle, and the subsequent five offered no relief.
It seemed as though the Dodgers were shaking off their recent batting woes after consecutive victories with a total of 12 runs over the past two games. However, they were quickly grounded again on Tuesday, suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat against the Houston Astros.
The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly Shohei Ohtani.
In three of his last four pitching appearances this season, the versatile athlete took on a singular role, stepping away from his designated hitter responsibilities to concentrate solely on his pitching skills.
Ohtani delivered a solid performance, pitching seven innings with two runs allowed and striking out eight batters. His only missteps were home runs surrendered to Christian Walker in the second inning and Branden Shewmake in the third.
The problem: The Dodgers (22-14) watched their Ohtani-less lineup go back in the tank.
The team squandered several golden chances early on, leaving six men on base through the first four frames, including a wasted bases-loaded opportunity in the fourth.
And from there, things got even worse. Astros right-hander Peter Lambert retired nine of his final 10 batters to complete a scoreless seven-inning start; the first the Astros (15-22) have gotten all season from their league-worst pitching staff.
The Houston bullpen gave up one run in the eighth on a Kyle Tucker RBI single, but did enough otherwise to keep the lead intact.
What it means
For as good as Ohtani has been as a pitcher –– finishing Tuesday with an MLB-best 0.97 ERA –– his inability to impact the offense remains a problem.
Ohtani was out of the lineup, after all, in part because of his current 0-for-17 skid as a hitter. Following a fifth-straight hitless performance Monday, manager Dave Roberts decided to change course and only have Ohtani pitch Tuesday.
The four-time MVP should be back in the lineup Wednesday, when the Dodgers will be trying to avoid a third-consecutive series loss. They could use more from his bat. Because right now, even his most dominant pitching starts aren’t enough to ensure a win.
Who’s hot
Fresh off winning National League Pitcher of the Month for March and April, Ohtani did continue his torrid start to the season on the mound, producing his longest pitching start since joining the Dodgers.
Not only did the right-hander go seven innings, but did so on only 89 pitches.
Walker tagged him for a mammoth home run in the second, blasting his 30th career long ball against the Dodgers to the stadium train tracks high above left field. But other than that, the only other damage Ohtani allowed was on Shewmake’s homer, which was a Crawford Box special that traveled only 337 feet to left.
Who’s not
The Dodgers lineup, especially with the bases loaded.
The latest example came in Tuesday’s fourth inning, when Max Muncy, Andy Pages and Alex Freeland all got aboard with two outs against Lambert. With the Dodgers down 2-0, Miguel Rojas came up with a chance to flip the game.
Instead, he hit into a fielder’s choice, dropping the Dodgers’ team batting average to .212 this season in bases-loaded situations (sixth-worst in the majors). From their 38 such plate appearances, they’ve scored only 25 runs.
The Dodgers, of course, struggled in other situational opportunities Tuesday –– which were magnified by their seventh game in the last eight without a home run
They went just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. They hit into their 32nd double-play of the season, second-most in the majors. And they saw one of their most trusted veteran bats in Rojas waste some of their best chances. His 0-for-4 included the bases-loaded out, the double-play grounder, and the final out of the game with the tying run on first.
Up next
Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 2.56 ERA) will face Lance McCullers Jr (2-2, 6.32 ERA) in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon.