Injured Ohtani Pitches Through Pain and Bleeding to Lead Dodgers Past Rays

Los Angeles — Shohei Ohtani delivered a gutsy pitching performance despite multiple injuries, securing a victory as the Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 to complete a sweep. Pitching with residual left knee pain and a bleeding blister on his right middle finger, Ohtani allowed four runs and five hits in the fifth inning but recovered to pitch a clean sixth inning, earning the win.

Ohtani's recent performances have been marked by physical challenges. He missed a game in Chicago the previous week due to his knee injury and saw his streak of four consecutive winning starts come to an end with a no-decision in Pittsburgh. This marks the first time this season he has allowed multiple earned runs in consecutive starts, a significant departure from his earlier form when he allowed only seven earned runs over his first 10 starts.

"It's part of the game. There aren't many situations where you feel 100 percent, so I took it as that. It was important that we could win a game like this," Ohtani said through a translator. He acknowledged his dissatisfaction with the fifth inning specifically but noted that his overall pitching felt solid.

With the record at 7-2, Ohtani's ERA rose to 1.47, still the second-best in Major League Baseball among pitchers with at least 50 innings worked. The Dodgers' comeback victory represents only their second sweep in franchise history over Tampa Bay. Offensively, Ohtani has been productive despite his injuries, hitting five home runs over his last nine games with a .367 batting average during that stretch.