Los Angeles Dodgers fans may start to develop some trauma whenever the team carries a no-hitter late into a ballgame.
Shohei Ohtani was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers in Tuesday’s clash against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. The Japanese two-way star was electric on the mound, maintaining a no-hitter with five strikeouts through five innings of work.
The Dodgers yanked Ohtani after just 62 pitches to manage his workload. With a 4-0 lead, the home team looked like it might cruise to victory over a Philadelphia Phillies team that popped champagne the night before to celebrate its newly clinched NL East crown.
But the Phillies got over their hangover the moment the Dodgers’ bullpen took over. Philadelphia pounded Ohtani’s replacement, Justin Wrobleski, for five runs in the top of the sixth. Edgardo Henriquez allowed a solo shot off the bat of Max Kepler before the inning was over, giving the Phillies a 6-4 lead.
Keep 'em comin' Kep! pic.twitter.com/yCQMMKWay9
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 17, 2025
Ohtani tried to clean up the mess with his bat. The three-time MVP hit his 50th home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, which saw the Dodgers tie the game at six entering the ninth inning.
Shohei Ohtani crushes his 50th HR after throwing 5 no-hit innings earlier! pic.twitter.com/P3NfvGXp0c
— MLB (@MLB) September 17, 2025
However, the Dodgers’ bullpen just could not hold firm to close the contest. Phillies catcher Rafael Marchan belted a three-run home run off Blake Treinen to give the visitors the 9-6 win.
WE'RE MARCHÁN BACK OUT IN FRONT pic.twitter.com/y0YsUudrh5
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 17, 2025
It’s a familiar story for Dodgers fans, who are less than two weeks removed from witnessing a complete bullpen meltdown after Yoshinobu Yamamoto put up 8.2 innings of no-hit baseball against the Baltimore Orioles. The team wasted another bid for a no-hitter days later.
Based on Tuesday’s letdown performance, the Dodgers’ bullpen has yet to get the issues out of their system. The collapse was the first time in over 100 years that a team got 5+ no-hit innings from a starting pitcher before having its bullpen allow 9+ runs the rest of the way.
