What happened: Shohei Ohtani struggled to find the strike zone early, opening his outing by throwing his first six pitches for balls. He later left a sweeper up that Gavin Sheets lined for an RBI single. Ohtani then recovered, striking out Ty France and Jackson Merrill with fastballs to limit the damage.
Why it matters: The early command lapse put immediate pressure on Ohtani, but his ability to reach back for the fastball and end the threat with consecutive strikeouts turned a shaky beginning into a manageable one. It was a notable in-game correction from the same Ohtani who has been carrying the offense at the plate this season.
By the numbers: Ohtani needed 29 pitches to get through the first inning, then required just 15 for a scoreless second frame, picking up his fifth strikeout of the night along the way.
What to watch: Watch whether Ohtani's fastball command holds deeper into the start and how quickly his pitch count climbs after the laborious first inning.