Shohei Ohtani Strikes Out Four Times in Historic MLB Performance Against Reds

Shohei Ohtani, the two-way talent of the Los Angeles Dodgers, faced a challenging night during a recent game against the Cincinnati Reds, as he struck out in all four of his plate appearances. This was a notable first for Ohtani in his eight-year MLB career, and it marks the sixth occasion across his time in the league that he has recorded four strikeouts in a single game. Twice this season he has hit this mark, with a previous instance occurring against the San Diego Padres on June 17.

During the contest, Ohtani's struggles came at the hands of Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo, who managed to fan Ohtani three times in total. Lodolo effectively challenged Ohtani with a curveball that Ohtani chased in the first and fifth innings, and later he caught him looking at a fastball in the third inning. Graham Ashcraft, another Reds pitcher, added to the difficulty by striking him out on a slider in the seventh inning.

The game kept Ohtani tantalizingly close to securing a fifth strikeout game when he finally made contact in the ninth inning, flying out to right field with two strikes against him, thereby ending his chance at a record. Before this game, Ohtani was enjoying a nine-game hitting streak and was leading in multiple statistics in Major League Baseball, including total runs scored and home runs.