In a disappointing 5-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Friday night at Oracle Park, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani managed to carve out history. Ohtani became the first Dodger in 25 years to reach 100 walks in a single season after being issued a free pass by Giants right-hander Justin Verlander in the third inning.
By drawing three walks in the game, including two intentional, Ohtani raised his season total to 102, joining four other MLB players, Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Rafael Devers, and himself, who have reached 100 walks this season, according to the Dodgers beat writer Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
Ohtani is only the fifth Dodgers player to reach triple digits in walks, joining Jim Wynn (110 in 1975), Brett Butler (108 in 1991), Reggie Smith (104 in 1977), and Gary Sheffield (101 in 1999, 100 in 2000). His 15.43% walk rate this season ranks among his career highs, comparable to 15.19% in 2023 and 15.02% in 2021, though his raw totals are higher thanks to more games played and his full-time designated-hitter role. In his last 30 games, Ohtani has drawn 27 walks and extended his on-base streak to 17 games.
Ohtani’s achievement stood tall, even if the game didn’t. The Dodgers (82-65) fell to the Giants (75-72) in 10 innings. Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered another dominant outing, striking out 10 over seven innings while allowing just one hit. He retired the final 20 batters he faced, marking the second consecutive start with one hit over at least seven innings, a feat not matched by a Dodger since Dazzy Vance in 1925. In his last three starts, Yamamoto has posted a 1.22 ERA with 30 strikeouts and three walks.
Offensively, the Dodgers struggled, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and leaving nine men on base. Michael Conforto, facing his former team, tied the game with a solo home run in the seventh, his 11th of the season and eighth on the road. Center fielder Andy Pages threw a 92.9 mph relay to nail pinch-runner Grant McCray at home, ending another Dodgers scoring opportunity in the ninth.
The game ended in the 10th when Giants catcher Patrick Bailey hit a walk-off grand slam off Tanner Scott, giving San Francisco a 5-1 victory and pulling them within half a game of the New York Mets for the third National League Wild Card spot. Bailey’s homer was his second walk-off of the season and fourth in his career, making him the first MLB player to hit both a walk-off inside-the-park home run and a walk-off grand slam in the same season.
Heading into the final 15 games of the season, Ohtani is on pace to surpass Wynn’s Los Angeles single-season record of 110 walks. Meanwhile, the Dodgers will look to rebound in Saturday’s matchup, with Max Muncy likely to return after exiting Friday’s game due to a hit-by-pitch injury.
