{"id":144468,"date":"2025-08-14T07:10:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T07:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/144468\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T07:10:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T07:10:15","slug":"shohei-ohtani-hits-leadoff-triple-and-pitches-into-the-5th-inning-but-angels-rally-late-to-sweep-dodgers-again-nbc-los-angeles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/144468\/","title":{"rendered":"Shohei Ohtani hits leadoff triple and pitches into the 5th inning, but Angels rally late to sweep Dodgers again \u2013 NBC Los Angeles"},"content":{"rendered":"

ANAHEIM \u2014 Shohei Ohtani\u2019s<\/a> return to the mound at Angel Stadium wasn\u2019t just another start on the calendar \u2014 it was a collision of past and present, played out under the familiar orange glow of a Southern California summer night.<\/p>\n

For the first time since leaving the Angels in December 2023 to join the Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a>, Ohtani stood on the same dirt where he became an international icon. The ovation from the crowd was equal parts admiration, disappointment (in his decision to leave the team), and nostalgia \u2014 cheers that carried memories of towering home runs, blistering fastballs, and MVP seasons. But this time, Ohtani wore Dodger blue, and he was here to face his former team, not carry it.<\/p>\n

Before he even touched the mound, Ohtani made noise at the plate. Leading off the game, he laced a triple down the right field line, before trotting home moments later to score his MLB-leading 114th run of the season. It was a symbolic opening act, reminding fans that his bat remains one of baseball\u2019s most dangerous weapons.<\/p>\n

On the mound, however, the night was more complicated. Facing old friends and familiar foes, Ohtani allowed a season-high four earned runs over 4.1 innings. His fastball topped out at a whopping 101 MPH, but the Angels didn\u2019t flinch. Taylor Ward took him deep in the second inning, a solo shot that stirred the home crowd.<\/p>\n

By the fifth, Ohtani had settled into a rhythm \u2014 striking out Luis Rengifo for the first out \u2014 but the inning unraveled quickly. Back-to-back singles set the stage for Zach Neto, who ripped a two-run double down the line to slice the Dodgers\u2019 lead to 5-4. It was the kind of gut-punch inning Ohtani has been working to avoid since his return to pitching.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just couldn\u2019t finish off hitters that inning,\u201d Ohtani said through a translator about that difficult fifth inning. \u201cI felt pretty good facing the first hitter [Rengifo], but I just couldn\u2019t finish off the other hitters.\u201d<\/p>\n

His final line: 4.1 innings pitched, five hits, no walks, seven strikeouts, and four earned runs. Not a disaster, but not the dominance he demands from himself.<\/p>\n

Afterward, Ohtani admitted the night was tinged with emotion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a lot of good memories in this stadium,\u201d said Ohtani. \u201cIt\u2019s one of my favorite stadiums to play in, and so it was really important to me to be able to pitch here again.\u201d<\/p>\n

He struck out Mike Trout twice<\/a>, a reminder of their epic duel at the World Baseball Classic in March of 2023. Still, Ohtani didn\u2019t sugarcoat his own performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext time I have to do a better job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Shohei Ohtani on his first start as a picture back at Angel Stadium, how he felt going into the fifth inning, and the Dodgers dropping into second place in the NL West pic.twitter.com\/jV18f4XhdV<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) August 14, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And his team needed it. The Dodgers, who have been staggering through August, once again found a way to let a win slip through their fingers. Leading 5-4 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, reliever Edgardo Henriquez gave up a two-run single to Logan O\u2019Hoppe that flipped the score. The Angels closed it out for a 6-5 win \u2014 their sixth straight over the Dodgers this season and seventh dating back to last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to turn the page and get ready for San Diego,\u201d said Mookie Betts of the loss and the Padres now leapfrogging them for first place in the N.L. West. \u201cWe would love to win all these games, but it just wasn\u2019t in the cards.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Mookie Betts on the Dodgers getting swept by the angels, the team falling into second place, and his overall takeaways of this recent slump pic.twitter.com\/lC7srRFXsa<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) August 14, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For Ohtani, the night was a bridge between what was and what is. He left behind a franchise and fan base that adored him, chasing championships in Los Angeles. Yet, under the lights in Anaheim, his past felt close enough to touch \u2014 even as the scoreboard reminded him that baseball\u2019s present can be ruthless.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a tough loss obviously because of the result, but I liked the way we played,\u201d said Dodgers\u2019 manager Dave Roberts pointing out some of the unlucky breaks his team suffered from in the loss<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s baseball. That\u2019s the way things are going right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Dave Roberts on the Dodgers getting swept by the Angels (again), the bullpen and bad breaks this series, and looking up at the Padres in the division. pic.twitter.com\/h8D3wiS09o<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) August 14, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In a season defined by comebacks \u2014 both personal and team-wide \u2014 Wednesday\u2019s loss was another reminder that the Dodgers\u2019 title defense will be more difficult than anyone ever thought before the season began. It will also require everyone on the roster, not just Ohtani and his star power.<\/p>\n

If the Dodgers want to climb back to the top of the mountain and become the first team to win back-to-back World Series titles since the New York Yankees in the late 90s, then they will need timely hitting, strong starting pitching, and a bullpen that can put up clean innings of relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never expected we would be in this spot,\u201d said Roberts about his team falling back into second place. \u201cWe\u2019re not really accustomed to this. We\u2019re in a funk. At the end of the day, we\u2019re just not finishing games when we have the opportunity, or on the offensive side being able to tack on runs when we\u2019re given opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Key stat<\/strong>
Ohtani has 15 strikeouts over his last 8 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n

Up next<\/strong>
Clayton Kershaw (6-2, 3.14 ERA) seems likely to take the mound Friday against San Diego.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t