Ohtani's Two-Way Dream Officially Started, and It Looked Pretty Lethal

Shohei Ohtani had to sprint. In the middle of Tuesday's fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians, he was just minding his business in the Dodgers dugout, collecting himself after another clean frame on the mound, when someone told him he was leading off the bottom half. He scrambled to the other end of the dugout railing, raced to throw on his batting equipment, scurried toward the batter's box, and drew a walk. That's the kind of season we're about to watch.

Because Ohtani just threw six scoreless innings while also reaching base three times at the plate in the Dodgers' 4-1 win over Cleveland. His first full two-way season in three years is officially underway, and it already looks dangerous.

The Pitching Was Borderline Dominant

Rain was coming down hard, but Ohtani didn't care. He gave up just one hit, scattered three walks, struck out six batters, and earned his first win of the season. He threw a limited pitch count and did it all under miserable conditions. "It's just good to be able to start the game, go through six under a limited pitch count even in this condition," Ohtani said through an interpreter. "I'm going to charge it to experience."

The curveball was working big time on Tuesday. He threw it 21 times, leaning on a pitch he rarely uses. His splitter generated five whiffs, and his fastball topped out at 99.2 mph. Dating back to last season, when he worked his way back from a second elbow surgery to join the Dodgers rotation down the stretch, Ohtani has not allowed an earned run in 23 consecutive innings during the regular season. That's the second-longest streak of his career.

Teammates Are Already Dreaming Cy Young Thoughts

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy wasn't holding back about what this could mean for Los Angeles this year. "If he's able to do it the whole year, it's just a huge boost to our pitching staff, which we already feel really good about. I expect nothing short of almost a Cy Young out of him," Muncy said.

And here's the thing: Ohtani wants that Cy Young. It's the one major award that has eluded him, and his teammates and coaches have been talking about it for weeks. He didn't pitch in his first spring training game until there were just eight games remaining until Opening Day, yet he was fully stretched out by the time the regular season began. That's dedication.

If this opening day performance is any sign of what's coming, Dodgers fans might be watching something special all year long.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.