Shohei Ohtani delivered one of the most impressive individual performances of the season — five hitless innings from the mound and his 50th home run — yet the Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t pull off a win. The culprit? Their bullpen, which completely collapsed after Ohtani’s departure, allowing a sweeping comeback by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Los Angeles built what looked like a secure 4-0 lead thanks to homers by Alex Call and Enrique Hernández. Ohtani’s pitching exerted tight control through the first five frames, and his bat nearly tied the game late. But it all unraveled in the sixth. The Phillies erupted in a six-run inning, highlighted by homers from Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler. Then in the ninth, Rafael Marchán drove a three-run shot off Blake Treinen to seal the 9-6 victory.
This was yet another blow for a Dodgers bullpen that’s been under heavy stress all season. Even though the team holds a slim division lead, performances like this expose serious cracks. Ohtani showed why he’s still such a force two ways, but without reliable relief arms, games like this will keep slipping away. Fans and analysts alike will be watching the back end of the bullpen closely as stretch run pressure intensifies.
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