Dodgers miss Shohei Ohtnai’s bat, can’t get him off the hook for loss to Marlins

Q: Why did the Dodgers leave Shohei Ohtani out of the batting order?

The Dodgers left Ohtani out of the batting order to manage his workload this season.

Q: What was Shohei Ohtani's pitching performance against the Marlins?

Ohtani pitched six innings, allowing two runs and striking out nine, resulting in a 0.60 ERA through five starts.

Q: How did the Dodgers perform offensively without Ohtani?

The Dodgers managed only seven hits and left eight runners stranded, struggling significantly at the plate.

Q: What are the implications of Ohtani's absence for the Dodgers' future games?

The Dodgers may reconsider keeping Ohtani out of the lineup on his pitching days if the team's offensive struggles continue.

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Shohei Ohtani pitching for the Dodgers, Image 2 shows Agustin Ramirez running on the baseball field as Will Smith crouches in the background It sure looked like the Dodgers could’ve used Shohei Ohtani’s bat in the lineup Tuesday night. In a 2-1 loss to the Miami Marlins, Ohtani pitched just fine in a six-inning, two-run, nine-strikeout start, giving him a 0.60 ERA through five starts on the mound this year. But for the second time this season, the Dodgers elected to leave the two-way star out of the batting order in a game he pitched as part of their plan to manage his workload this season.

Shohei Ohtani reacts after striking out Miami Marlins’ Agustin Ramirez. AP Long-term, they hope, it will keep Ohtani fresh. But on Tuesday, it led to a dreadful night at the plate from the rest of the team. After coming up empty in a bases-loaded, one-out opportunity created by shaky Marlins defense in the first, the Dodgers (20-10) did little at the plate the rest of the night. argues with home plate umpire Clint Vondrak after striking out. AP Miami starter kept them off-balance in a scoreless six-inning start, using a five-pitch to induce weak contact and collect quick outs. The Marlins bullpen avoided the kind of collapse that doomed them in Monday’s walk-off finish, giving up one run in the eighth but stranded runners on the corners to retire the side. That would be as close as the Dodgers came to a comeback. In the ninth, they got an infield single from , but nothing else. Backup catcher Dalton Rushing replaced Ohtani in as the team’s designated hitter –– and, so as not to disrupt the rest of the batting order, leadoff man –– but went 0-for-4 and struck out in the fifth on a pitch-clock violation (after home plate umpire Clint Vondrak evidently didn’t see him trying to call for time). Agustin Ramirez scores on a sacrifice fly as watches. AP Few others were any better, with the Dodgers managing just seven hits on the night while leaving eight stranded on base. **What it means** Tuesday was the kind of game that could give the Dodgers pause before keeping Ohtani out of the lineup on his start days again. After slumping last week, he’s been one of the team’s few stars who seemed to be snapping out of an early-season funk in recent days, coming off back-to-back three-hit games and having reached safely in 10 of his past 14 plate appearances. The reason for limiting Ohtani to just pitching, of course, has more to do with his own workload concerns. Still, every time the Dodgers struggle to hit without him, the more glaring his absence on nights like Tuesday will feel. Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop jumps out of the way as Miami Marlins’ Agustin Ramirez steals second base. AP **Who’s hot** As a pitcher, Ohtani wasn’t his sharpest against the Marlins, battling somewhat shaky command in a five-hit, three-walk outing that drove up his pitch count to a season-high 104. However, he managed to limit damage well and tap into his 100 mph fastball velocity when he needed it. His first run came as a result of his own defensive mistake, when he threw away a pickoff throw to second base after hitting Agustín Ramírez with a pitch in the second inning. The Marlins scored again in the fifth on an RBI single from –– marking only the second earned run against Ohtani in 30 innings this year. Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder reacts to striking out against the Miami Marlins. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images After that, though, he worked out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the score close. The Dodgers just couldn’t do enough at the plate to get him off the hook for the loss. **Who’s not** Pages has officially come back to earth after his blistering start to the year. Though he avoided an 0-fer by legging out his ninth-inning single (which was aided by a bad throw), the third-year slugger is now just 7-for-40 in his last 11 games –– during which time his batting average has fallen from an MLB-best .412 to .324. It’s still been an excellent first month overall. It’s just not ending on the highest of notes. **Up next** The Dodgers and Marlins will conclude this series on Wednesday afternoon, when (3-0, 2.45) will square off against former Cy Young winner (3-2, 3.05 ERA) in a marquee pitching matchup. Ohtani is expected to return to the Dodgers’ lineup as designated hitter for the rubber match.