Shohei Ohtani pitched his deepest into a game in three seasons, but received little offensive support as the Dodgers fell 2-1 to the Houston Astros on Tuesday night at Daikin Park.
Ohtani was efficient on the mound, recording eight strikeouts and no walks. For the first time with the Dodgers, he recorded an out in the seventh inning and completed seven innings on just 89 pitches. It marked his longest pitching start since a shutout on July 27, 2023, with the Angels.
Ohtani had not allowed a home run in his first five starts this season, but that streak ended in the second inning when Christian Walker crushed a ball for his 30th career home run against the Dodgers. Braden Shewmake added another homer shortly after, hooking one into the Crawford Boxes.
Those were the only two runs against Ohtani, whose ERA rose to 0.97. He continues to lead the National League in ERA after each of his six starts this season.
The Dodgers' offense struggled again, scoring only in the eighth inning against the Astros bullpen. Pinch-hitter Alex Call doubled and scored on a two-out single by Kyle Tucker, snapping a streak of 19 straight scoreless innings while Ohtani was pitching.
Manager Dave Roberts changed plans, having Ohtani only pitch instead of pulling double duty. Ohtani is in a hitting slump, going 0-for-17 over his last five games with six walks and four strikeouts.
Roberts said, "He's one of our best pitchers, he's one of our best hitters." The Dodgers will look to bounce back in the final game of the road trip on Wednesday.