Shohei Ohtani pitches effectively in first spring training start. ‘He expects perfection’

A sparse crowd braved the heat, which was approaching 100 degrees when Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani walked off the mound at Camelback Ranch. But those who did were treated to a dominant pitching performance from the four-time MVP in his first start of spring training. They repaid the favor with a standing ovation. Ohtani limited the San Francisco Giants to one hit and overshot the innings goal manager Dave Roberts laid out Wednesday morning by coming out for one batter in the fifth inning. Ohtani didn’t allow a run in those 4 ⅓ innings, and the only other blemishes on the performance were a pair of walks and a hit batter. “I was pretty happy with the pitch count today,” Ohtani said...