Shohei Ohtani suffered his second loss of the season, giving up his first two home runs as the Astros defeated the Dodgers 2-1. Despite the loss, Ohtani pitched a season-high seven innings and leads the major leagues in ERA.
Key points
Shohei Ohtani gave up his first two home runs this season
Ohtani suffered his second loss of the season
He pitched a season-high seven innings
The Astros defeated the Dodgers 2-1
Ohtani leads the major leagues in ERA
Shohei OhtaniHouston AstrosLos Angeles Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani, sticking to pitching, gives up first home runs as Astros beat him
Shohei Ohtani is no longer unsullied by the longball this season. Yet he was still pretty outstanding against the Houston Astros.
Ohtani absorbed his second loss of the season − and gave up his first and second home runs this year − as the Astros held off the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Tuesday, May 5 at Houston's Daikin Park.
It's Ohtani, so that also means even in defeat, superlatives are involved. And Ohtani worked a season-high seven innings − his longest outing since July 27, 2023, when he pitched a one-hitter − and took over the major league ERA lead.
His Tuesday outing ensured he had enough innings to qualify, and Ohtani's 0.97 ERA is the only mark below 1.00 among qualified starters. He's holding opposing batters to a .160 average, bested only by teammate Tyler Glasnow's .146 mark.
On this night, though, a train-tracks bomb from Christian Walker and an opposite-field wall-scraper from Braden Shewmake into Houston's Crawford Boxes were enough to beat him. The homers comprised two of the four hits the Astros managed against Ohtani, who struck out eight.
The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.
Q&A
How many home runs did Shohei Ohtani give up in the game against the Astros?
Shohei Ohtani gave up two home runs in the game against the Astros.
What was the final score of the game between the Astros and the Dodgers?
The final score was Astros 2, Dodgers 1.
What was Shohei Ohtani's longest outing of the season?
Ohtani pitched a season-high seven innings in this game.
What notable statistic does Shohei Ohtani currently lead in the major leagues?
Shohei Ohtani currently leads the major leagues in ERA.
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"The hits were homers, so in that sense it was efficient," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, "but it wasn't something that was good."
And once again, the Dodgers kept Ohtani out of the lineup, so he could concentrate on pitching. On this night, they theoretically could have used him − but Ohtani is also 0 for his last 17 at the plate.
"I think offense, including myself, hasn't done a great job scoring runs. I'm sure if there was a situation where I was hitting well, they'd want me to hit and pitch as well," Ohtani said. "But I understand focus on pitching and turn the page on hitting."
Has his one-track mind when pitching hindered him at the plate?
"I don't think so personally that the pitching has affected the hitting," he says, "but at the same time it's been longer than expected. It's not ideal I'm trying to find that (hitting groove) in the game."
