The Dodgers are experiencing a tough season, having been swept by the Angels twice, with Shohei Ohtani stating that dropping to second place feels unpleasant.

The Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) faced a reversal today (14th) despite starting with Japanese "two-way" superstar Shohei Ohtani on the mound. They ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Angels with a score of 5 to 6, marking their sixth consecutive loss in the "Freeway Series," and extending their recent losing streak to four games. Meanwhile, another strong team in the National League West, the San Diego Padres, achieved an 11 to 1 victory over the San Francisco Giants today, taking the top spot in the NL West and placing the Dodgers under unusual pressure in the second half of the season.

In this game, Shohei Ohtani pitched 4.1 innings, throwing a season-high 80 pitches, allowing 5 hits, giving up 4 runs, and recording 7 strikeouts. At the plate, he had 4 at-bats with 1 hit, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts. In the first inning, Ohtani hit a triple and scored, helping the Dodgers get on the board first. He exited the game with the Dodgers leading 5 to 4, completing his longest start of the season. Unfortunately, in the eighth inning, the Angels scored a hit from Logan O'Hoppe with the bases loaded. In the top of the ninth, former closer Kenley Jansen secured the final three outs, leaving the Dodgers to watch the Angels take the win.

After the game, Ohtani expressed through a translator: "Clearly, dropping to second place and losing so many games feels bad. We are doing our best and trying everything to get things back on track. We need to do better."

During the game, Ohtani struck out his former teammate Mike Trout twice, with the second strikeout coming from a fastball clocked at 100.7 miles per hour (approximately 162 kilometers). Unfortunately, in the fifth inning, the Angels hit three consecutive singles against him, with Zach Neto's double being crucial. Ohtani remarked: "In the fifth inning, I just couldn't get the hitters out. They did a great job putting the ball in play, and that's the result; next time I need to do better."

The Dodgers' bullpen continues to struggle, with key relief pitchers like Kirby Yates, Tanner Scott, and Brusdar Graterol still on the injured list. The lineup also underperformed, failing to score after the fourth inning, which is undoubtedly a major reason for their recent losses. In response, Ohtani stated: "Losing close games feels bad. It's tough mentally, but we have a day off tomorrow, so we plan to adjust well and prepare for the weekend."