Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani blasts friend Tomoyuki Sugano, flirts with Rockies no-hitter, matches Don Drysdale originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The two old friends faced off as MLB starting pitchers for the first time Wednesday night.
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Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Shohei Ohtani versus Colorado Rockies‘ Tomoyuki Sugano. The duo settled in as the main Dodger Stadium attractions.
The entertainers did not disappoint, starting with a bang.
Getting the best of his buddy, again, Ohtani connected on a lead-off homer, his second straight when also serving as the starting pitcher. Sugano surely will hear about the three-pitch at-bat, like he did the other times they faced each other. Sugano does not possess any bragging rights, surrendering four hits during their first five matchups. Wednesday’s homer was Ohtani’s third in their personal history.
Visibly frustrated with his control, Ohtani (5-2) finished his pitching performance with six no-hit innings. The last Dodgers player to produce six-plus no-hit innings and slam a homer in the same game was Don Drysdale on June 25, 1959.
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Sugano (4-4) yielded three earned runs in 4.2 innings, suffering a 4-1 defeat in the series sweep.
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani outduels Rockies’ Tomoyuki Sugano
Wednesday’s encounter was a rare MLB matchup between pitchers born in Japan.
“Personally, I don’t know what this means, but I’m sure there’s a lot of fans in Japan who are excited,” Sugano said, as reported by Reuters.
The international pitching showcase was nearly canceled when Ohtani was hit by a pitch on the back of his right hand on Tuesday. He remained in the game and stayed on track to make the pitching start.
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Including Wednesday’s outing, Ohtani yielded one earned run in his past nine starts, lowering his earned-run average to 0.82.
He didn’t appear content after five no-hit innings. In 86 pitches, he had thrown just 47 strikes. His four walks were a high during his Dodgers stint, and he also hit a batter.
A legend in Japan, Sugano, 35, entered Wednesday with a 10.29 ERA in his first two starts against the Dodgers.
Rockies’ Tyler Freeman snapped the no-hit bid with a two-out, eighth-inning single off Dodgers relief pitcher Tanner Scott, disappointing a host of fans watching the game from Japan.
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