Blistered, bloodied: Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani victorious despite suffering worst inning of season

Blistered, bloodied: Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani victorious despite suffering worst inning of season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>Nearly unhittable through his opening nine starts, Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani opened the first inning Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium with a six-pitch strikeout.

>Business as usual, it appeared, as Tampa Bay Rays leadoff hitter Yandy Diaz looked overmatched by a 98-mph four-seam fastball.

>Starting the third, Ohtani turned to an 87-mph sweeper to whiff Hunter Feduccia. The four-time NL MVP didn't look like the pitcher who suffered a rare off night against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 10, yielding four runs (three earned). His earned-run average climbed from 0.74 to 1.06.

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani wins despite off outingBattling a bleeding blister, Ohtani on Wednesday suffered his worst start of the season, allowing four, fifth-inning runs. The Rays took advantage of contact off Ohtani's fastball, which he utilized nearly 50 percent of his deliveries.

>Was the blister on his finger the reason for his pitch choices?

>Feduccia didn't look as overmatched in the fifth, connecting on a double with an exit velocity of 106.8 mph. Neither did Díaz, who executed an RBI single off an 0-2 pitch.

>Ohtani (7-2) didn't blame his bloody blister for his ERA rising to 1.47. Despite his worst outing of the season, he claimed the decision as the Dodgers edged the Rays, 5-4.

>"Just part of the game," he said through an interpreter on Spectrum SportsNet Live. "Not a lot of situations where you feel 100 percent."

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