Back in August, when reporters asked Freddie Freeman whether Shohei Ohtani might be on the mound, Freeman cracked a joke: “Shohei on the mound (tomorrow). So see if he can throw nine innings and hit seven home runs.”  That kind of lighthearted teasing has always been there in the Dodgers’ dugout. As the calendar turned to September, a similar lively moment was evident in the game against the Phillies. The only difference? This time, the manager also enjoyed every bit of it.

On Tuesday against the Phillies, Ohtani pitched one of the best games of the season. He threw five no-hit innings against one of baseball’s strongest lineups, struck out five batters, walked only one, and used only 68 pitches to get through those frames. His fastball went above 99 mph on average, his sweeper was sharp, and not many good swings came off against him. Then Roberts pulled him out of the game, and what followed became a great moment.

The stats weren’t the only thing that made the night special; Ohtani was already getting praise for them. It was the human moment captured on camera between innings. As Ohtani was getting his batting gear on, Dave Roberts leaned in: “How do you feel? You know, you want to get back out there?” Roberts asked. Ohtani responded, “No, it’s up to you.” Roberts pressed, “OK, but do you feel good?” “I do.” Meanwhile, Freddie Freeman couldn’t help but chime in with his trademark humor. The broadcast caught him laughing with Roberts and teasing Ohtani: “Oh, I know you look stressed out over there with that decision.”

When asked about the real reason, Roberts said, “He’s too important. And if something does happen, then that’s on me for changing it. We haven’t done that all year, so I’m not gonna do that right now.” Having come back from the injury, the skipper has been extra careful with Ohtani’s outing. And it’s not the first time he did that. On July 30, against the Reds, Roberts pulled him out in the fourth inning because his right hip was cramping. Before that, Roberts only let him pitch one inning in his first game as a Dodger against the Padres.

And while looking at Shohei Ohtani’s pitching, he has appeared in only 13 games since his comeback on the mound; the Dodgers have played 65 games through September 16, 2025. In those 13 games, he has an ERA of 3.29, 54ks and a WHIP of 1.07. The limited appearances aren’t coincidental—they’re calculated

The management is clear with its plan. They want to find a balance between short-term bursts of performance and long-term availability as the postseason approaches. Roberts has been careful with his choices since Ohtani is both an ace pitcher and a DH.

For the two-way star, the night was very special. He not only had a great game, but he also blasted his 50th home run of the 2025 season in the eighth inning. He became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and record 50 strikeouts as a pitcher in the same season. Moreover, this was his second season of hitting 50 homers in two consecutive years.

Despite Shohei Ohtani’s masterpiece, the Dodgers’ bullpen unraveled spectacularly…

Strong start, weak finish: Dodgers’ bullpen bows out after Ohtani’s gem

Shohei Ohtani started off strong, pitching five innings without giving up a hit, walking one hitter, and striking out five. The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead thanks to early scoring, which included a single home run by Alex Call, a two-run shot by Kiké Hernández, and a sacrifice fly. With that lead, the bullpen was expected to keep it.

But in the sixth, the Phillies came back. Justin Wroblewski took over for Ohtani and fell apart right away, giving up five runs on five hits and losing the lead. He couldn’t stop the hitters, as Edgardo Henriquez came in next and gave up a solo home run to Max Kepler, which put the Phillies up.

The Dodgers’ offense came back in the eighth inning, tying the game at 6-6 with a solo home run by Ohtani and a sacrifice fly by Call. This gave fans optimism that the bullpen might become better. Blake Treinen couldn’t finish it off in the ninth, though. He struck out two hitters, but then he gave up a three-run home run to Rafael Marchan, which gave Philadelphia the win.

Even though Shohei Ohtani had a historic game—five great innings on the mound, his 50th home run, and becoming the first MLB player to smash 50 home runs and strike out 50 times as a pitcher in a season—the bullpen’s mistakes took the spotlight. The relief corps gave up a lot of runs in a short amount of time, which cost them the game.