The weekend started with Shohei Ohtani being held out of the lineup and ended with the Dodgers losing a series for the first time in five weeks.
In between, Yoshinobu Yamamoto nearly pitched a no-hitter.
The events over the three games played against the White Sox at Rate Field obscured a potentially season-altering development for the Dodgers.
Ohtani is back — and not just in the literal sense.
His power has returned.
Even after his three-game home run streak ended Sunday in a 6-4 loss to the White Sox, Ohtani has gone deep four times in his last seven games and six times in his last 15.
He’s rediscovered his home run swing, the one missing element in an otherwise spectacular overall season.
Just as he said he would.
This is generally around the time of the season in which Ohtani turns games into batting practice.
Over nine major-league seasons, he’s homered 66 times in June — more than in any other month.
With the Angels, he went deep 13 times in June 2021 and 15 times in June 2023. In his first season with the Dodgers, in 2024, he hit 12 homers in that month.
Last year, his best month was May, when he homered 15 times.
Ohtani’s improved form in the batter’s box comes when the Dodgers could use the extra offense. With their previously unhittable bullpen unraveling, they are 8-7 over their last 15 games.
The Dodgers are 11-3 when Ohtani homers.
A recent knee problem didn’t slow him down. Because of swelling behind his left knee, Ohtani had to be removed in the seventh inning of what was a two-run game in Pittsburgh on Thursday. He didn’t play the next day in the series opener against the White Sox.
Ohtani returned to the Dodgers’ lineup on Saturday. In his first at-bat, he launched an up-and-in fastball from White Sox starter Sean Burke halfway up the right field stands.
“The condition [of my knee] isn’t bad,” Ohtani told reporters in Japanese after the game. “It felt good this morning, so it was decided that I would play today. The results were good, so I think I can continue playing starting tomorrow without any uncertainty.”
Ohtani speculated that his knee flared up because his mechanics were off when he pitched Wednesday.
“There wasn’t one incident in which it suddenly happened,” he said. “I can’t say it was this one play. I think it’s because in my last start [pitching], the way I threw wasn’t very good.”
The White Sox weren’t about to test him after serving up that first-inning homer to him Saturday.
When Ohtani stepped into the batter’s box in the ninth inning representing the tying run, closer Seranthony Dominguez didn’t even think of pitching to him.
With Alex Freeland standing on second base, Dominguez walked Ohtani on four pitches, none of which were close to the strike zone.
The call was the right one.
Andy Pages grounded out, Freddie Freeman struck out and the White Sox held on for a 6-4 victory.
A similar decision was made earlier in the game.
With two outs and Ryan Ward on third base, Ohtani was intentionally walked. Pages grounded into a force-out, and the Dodgers’ lead remained at 1-0.
Pages and Freeman now have the responsibility to ensure opposing teams pitch to Ohtani, as they are the two players who usually follow him in the Dodgers’ order. Neither player had a productive week, with Pages 5-for-28 on the team’s six-game trip and Freeman 5-for-23.
Ohtani has taken his walks in recent weeks, his improved plate discipline resulting in him reaching base more than half of the time in that span. In his last 15 games, he registered an on-base percentage of .507.
But he hasn’t just walked. He batted.407 over that same 15-game window and raised his season OPS to .975, the highest of any National League player.
And that’s what the Dodgers want to take advantage of. He now has 14 home runs, only two fewer than team leader Max Muncy.
Ohtani’s track record indicates that number could double over the next month.
