'Cy Young Challenge' Ohtani in Crisis, ERA Jumps from 0.74 to 1.06... Fails to Secure Win Despite Two-Run Homer... Team Suffers 8-9 Comeback Loss [LAD Review]

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A crisis has been declared in Shohei Ohtani's (32, Los Angeles Dodgers) race for the Cy Young Award.

On the 11th (Korean time), Ohtani started for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season road game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He pitched 6⅔ innings, allowing 6 hits (1 home run), issuing 4 walks (3 walks, 1 hit-by-pitch), recording 6 strikeouts, and surrendering 4 runs (3 earned runs).

This was his 10th quality start in his 11th game of the season (a quality start is defined as a starting pitcher throwing at least 6 innings while allowing 3 or fewer earned runs). While a typical pitcher would be satisfied with such a performance, it was not enough for Ohtani. Having won the MVP award unanimously four times as a two-way player, Ohtani has focused more on his pitching this year in pursuit of the Cy Young Award. Unlike the MVP, which reflects both hitting and pitching performance, the Cy Young Award places importance on pitching-specific metrics such as wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched.

Because Ohtani pitches once a week as a two-way player, he inevitably falls behind competitors in cumulative statistics. The two areas where he could demonstrate competitiveness were wins and ERA, but he failed to secure either.

Although his ERA has risen from 0.74 to 1.06, keeping him in first place in the league, his competitors are far from weak. Notably, Jacob Misiorowski (Milwaukee Brewers) has posted a 7-2 record with a 1.50 ERA over 13 games, logging 78 innings and 116 strikeouts. Christopher Sanchez (Philadelphia Phillies) has an 8-2 record with a 1.54 ERA over 14 games, pitching 93⅓ innings and recording 113 strikeouts, forming the top tier of the race.

In contrast, Ohtani, who has yet to reach the required innings threshold, stands at 6-2 with a 1.06 ERA over 11 games, with 67⅔ innings and 73 strikeouts, significantly trailing in both innings and strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Ohtani, who also batted leadoff that day, made his presence felt in the final at-bat of the game. In his earlier at-bats, he was retired with a swing-and-miss strikeout, a fly ball to left field, another swing-and-miss strikeout, and a fly ball to right field. The fly ball hit in the bottom of the third inning with two outs and a runner on first base was particularly disappointing. He had hit a mistake pitch squarely from Jared Jones, sending the ball all the way to the end of the left-field wall. However, it was caught by left fielder Reynolds with a leaping catch just in front of the wall, robbing him of a home run.

Ohtani made his presence felt in his final at-bat. With the Dodgers trailing 6-9 in the bottom of the ninth inning, one out, and a runner on first base, he hit Gregory Soto's 99.1 mph fastball over the center-field wall. It was his 12th home run of the season.

As a result, Ohtani's season batting statistics now stand at a .299 average (72 hits in 241 at-bats) over 66 games, with 12 home runs, 39 RBIs, 46 runs scored, and 6 stolen bases. His on-base percentage is .413, slugging percentage is .527, and OPS is .940.

Ohtani's stuff itself was not poor on this day. According to Statcast, his primary weapon was a four-seam fastball averaging 98.6 mph (50 pitches), mixed with a sweeper (37 pitches), curveball (8 pitches), splitter (4 pitches), sinker (2 pitches), and slider (1 pitch), totaling 102 pitches thrown. He induced 11 swings and misses: six with the sweeper, four with the fastball, and one with the curveball.

In the first inning, Ohtani allowed a single to Spencer Horwitz and a walk to Brandon Lowe, putting him in a bases-loaded, no-out situation. However, he retired Brian Reynolds and Ryan O'Hearn with swing-and-miss strikeouts and got Nick Gonzales out on a fly ball to right field, preventing any runs from scoring.

Although Ohtani allowed baserunners in the second and third innings, he escaped without allowing any runs. In the bottom of the fourth, he gave up a solo home run to Tyler Kalish over the left-field wall. Ohtani recorded a scoreless inning with three up, three down in the bottom of the fifth, and then earned the win when Ryan Ward hit a bases-loaded home run in the top of the sixth, providing the Dodgers with the necessary run support.

Ohtani could not get through the seventh-inning hurdle. After issuing a walk to the leadoff batter, Kalish, he allowed an infield hit to Jake Magnum. He then struck out Jared Triolo and Horwitz in succession. However, he was replaced by Alex Vesia after giving up a two-run double down the right-field line to Lowe.

Subsequently, third baseman Max Muncy failed to field Reynolds' ground ball, allowing Ohtani's inherited runner to score. This run was charged as an error by Muncy, so Ohtani's earned run total remained at three.

Ohtani and the Dodgers' trials were not over yet. With the Dodgers still leading 6-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Pittsburgh Pirates ultimately turned the game around. Against reliever Kyle Hurt, Nick Gonzales and Rafah Flores Jr. drew walks, and Kalish hit another three-run home run over the left-field wall, giving Pittsburgh a 7-6 lead.

Hurt gave up a ground ball single to Magnum and threw a wild pitch, putting himself in a one-out, runners on second and third situation. However, it seemed the crisis was averted when catcher Dalton Rushing prevented a steal of third base by Triolo.

However, Triolo hit a double to right field, and reliever Jack Drayer gave up a two-run home run to Horwitz over the right-center field wall. The Dodgers were unable to overcome this run, and the game ended in an 8-9 loss.

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*This content was translated by AI.