Shohei Two-Way Day: The Mound Was Magic, But Man...

Thu, Apr 23, 2026·vs San Francisco Giants·0-3·Ken-chan's Take

Shohei dealt on the mound with 7 Ks and hit 101 mph at his peak! But the bats couldn't string anything together — he went hitless at the plate. Bailey took him deep in the 7th for a 0-3 shutout loss. Tough one, folks.

Game SummaryLOSS

0-3

Highlights

Shohei Ohtani dominates from the mound with 7 strikeouts and zero walks, touching 101 mph
Ohtani crushes one 103.1 mph in the 3rd but a 4-degree launch angle turns it into a grounder — so close!
Bailey takes him deep in the bottom of the 7th for the game-winning solo shot in a 0-3 shutout loss

Ugh, this one stings...

Road game against the Giants, and I'll just come out and say it — we lost 0-3. A shutout loss, are you kidding me?! But listen, even though we dropped this one, Shohei's pitching was seriously something special today. Hear me out.

Two-Way Shohei Was Absolutely Filthy on the Mound

Shohei got the start today. Faced 23 batters, gave up 5 hits, 7 strikeouts with zero walks, and no homers allowed. Topped out at 101 mph (about 163 km/h)! Averaged 93 mph too, so the velo was there all game. He shut down that Giants lineup, and I was sitting there with a beer yelling "Shohei's UNHITTABLE tonight!"

But... bottom of the 7th, Bailey got him for a solo shot. That ended up being the game-winner. That Bailey homer, man... I literally went "oof" out loud. Still, looking at the outing as a whole? No complaints. To go out there and pitch like that AS a two-way guy — that's just absurd.

Shohei at the Plate Just Wasn't Clicking Today

The bat side... honestly, nothing was lining up today.

1st AB (top of the 1st) — Mahle's splitter got him out in front for a grounder. Exit velo only in the low 70s mph, got completely jammed. Mahle's offspeed was a problem all night.

2nd AB (top of the 3rd) — THIS one really hurt! 103.1 mph (about 166 km/h) off the bat! But the launch angle was 4 degrees — grounder... 10 more degrees of lift and that's WAY more than just a hit! Ughhh, so close!

3rd AB (top of the 5th) — Called strike three... come on Shohei, swing the bat buddy!

4th AB (top of the 8th) — Jammed again, popped up. Launch angle of 51 degrees is never carrying anywhere... 89 mph exit velo is decent enough, but that angle, man.

Ended up hitless on the day. But hey — he went out there, racked up 7 K's on the mound, and battled at the plate. That's more than enough from Shohei. Get 'em next game!

Bottom line

The whole lineup just couldn't get anything going — 66 total plate appearances and a shutout is brutal. But Shohei's mound performance was genuinely worth the watch, so if you missed it, pull it up on replay. Seriously.