Ohtani gets 1,000th career hit with go-ahead homer, strikes out 8

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a go-ahead, two-run homer for his 1,000th career hit and struck out a season-high eight over four innings Wednesday in the longest mound outing yet this season for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar.

The right-hander made his eighth mound start of the season after not pitching in 2024 while recovering from elbow surgery. He closed his outing against the St. Louis Cardinals by striking out the side in the fourth and walked off wiping his face on a 90-degree (32 Celsius) day. Masyn Winn tossed his bat in frustration after going down swinging.

“I thought it was a big day for me personally getting to the fourth inning. That was really good in terms of building up,” Ohtani said through a translator.

“I thought it was a big day for me personally getting to the fourth inning. That was really good in terms of building up,” Ohtani said through a translator.

Ohtani threw 54 pitches, 37 for strikes, and gave up one run and two hits. The Dodgers lost 5-3.

Ohtani’s 39th homer snapped a nine-game home run drought and traveled 440 feet to center , scoring Alex Call, who doubled leading off in the third, to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. In the first, Ohtani swung at the first pitch and reached when first baseman Alec Burleson booted the ball for an error.