Major League Baseball "superstar" Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers earned the win in his first start of the season.
The Dodgers defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 on Tuesday at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The victory improved the Dodgers' record to 4-1, keeping them atop the National League West. The San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks share second place at 2-3.
Ohtani, starting on the mound, pitched six innings, striking out six while allowing just one hit and three walks with zero runs to earn the win. It was the 40th career victory (against 20 losses) for Ohtani, who debuted in the majors in 2018. At the plate, he went 1-for-3 with two walks and one strikeout.
It was the first time in three years that Ohtani played as a two-way player from the start of a season, since the 2023 season when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. In his first year with the Dodgers in 2024, he served only as a hitter due to elbow surgery and rehabilitation. Last season, he returned to the mound in June, going 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 14 games. In 2023, the last full season he pitched, he posted a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA in 23 games.
"The weather wasn't great today, but I was happy to be able to pitch from the start of the season," Ohtani said after the game. "I felt good, and since the opposing lineup had a lot of left-handed hitters, I followed catcher Will Smith's lead closely."