Ohtani’s 87th pitch, a slider, produced a harmless groundout that closed five innings, his first since returning from elbow surgery. He hit leadoff in the fifth and sparked a four-run rally, finishing with a season-high nine strikeouts as the Dodgers beat the Reds 5-1 to sweep the series. The win kept LA atop the NL West, with Muncy and Edman looming back soon, and the rotation and bullpen finally showing depth as the team trends upward.

The plan emphasized off-speed and breaking pitches, tapering the fastball early to unlock late-length innings. Ohtani’s five-inning milestone signals progress in rehabilitation, and the Dodgers’ offense fed on timely singles from Rushing, Rojas, Hernandez and Hernandez, cementing a key win as the rotation—Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Kershaw, Sheehan, and Ohtani—looks increasingly formidable.