Shohei Ohtani struck out nine batters first, earning his first Dodgers win on his bobblehead day.

Today, the Dodgers honored Shohei Ohtani's remarkable batting achievements with a bobblehead commemorating his 2024 "50 homers and 50 steals" season. They also saw this two-way player take a major step forward in pitching.

As a Dodger, Ohtani pitched five innings for the first time, allowing only one run, striking out nine, and throwing 87 pitches—a single-game season high—helping the Dodgers defeat the Reds 5-1 at home. This was Ohtani’s first win since joining the Dodgers and helped the team become the first this season to sweep Cincinnati.

Out of the Dodgers’ 19 strikeouts as a team, Ohtani accounted for nearly half, setting a new single-game team high this season and marking a franchise record for nine-inning games since 1901.

When a pitcher’s arsenal includes seven different pitches, each start shows a distinctly different approach.

In Wednesday’s game, Ohtani’s curveball was more effective than in previous outings. He threw 23 curveballs, making up 26% of his total pitches, whereas in his prior 10 starts combined, he had only thrown 11 curveballs.

This proved to be a decisive pitch, contributing to four strikeouts. Meanwhile, his four-seam fastball reached 100 mph four times, with a top speed of 100.3 mph.

It could have been a very tough night for Ohtani, as he faced 27 pitches in the second inning. He issued two walks and threw two wild pitches but ended the inning with a strikeout, leaving runners on second and third. In the third inning, Noelvi Marte hit a solo home run off him with one out, but Ohtani settled down afterward, retiring the next eight batters in order.

Ohtani also played a key role offensively. When he came to bat in the bottom of the fourth inning, Reds starter Nick Lodolo had retired the first nine hitters consecutively. Ohtani broke the deadlock with a single to first base, sparking a four-run rally.

After undergoing a second major elbow surgery, Ohtani made his first pitching appearance for the Dodgers on June 16 and has been gradually regaining form since. The Dodgers plan to be cautious, limiting his pitching to five innings per game this season.

However, this start against the Cincinnati Reds was a solid rebound, as Ohtani had struggled in his previous two outings, allowing nine earned runs over 8.1 innings. Manager Dave Roberts admitted before the game that Ohtani might still be working to find his rhythm after nearly two years away from pitching.

In today’s game, he appeared to have regained his form, and with the Padres losing earlier to the Mariners, the Dodgers extended their lead in the NL West to two games.