Shohei Ohtani racked up his 15th homer with a two-run blast off rookie sensation Paul Skenes, but it was the 22-year-old right-hander and his Pittsburgh Pirates who emerged 10-6 winners over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.
Fans hoping to see fireworks between the two-time MVP and the flame-throwing newcomer were not disappointed, with both stars winning a round at Pittsburgh's PNC Park.
In the first inning, Skenes struck Ohtani out swinging on three straight pitches over 100 miles per hour.
The two went head-to-head again in the third, with the Pirates up 7-0 following a disastrous second inning by Los Angeles starter James Paxton (5-1).
With a full count and Mookie Betts on first, Ohtani got hold of a 100.1 mph fastball and launched it 415 feet over center field. Per MLB.com, it was the fastest pitch on which Ohtani has homered in his career.
Ohtani finished 2-for-5 with the two RBIs, while Skenes (3-0) completed five innings in which he fanned eight and allowed three runs on six hits and a walk.
In other MLB action, Detroit Tigers starter Kenta Maeda threw just two pitches before leaving with right side abdominal discomfort in his team's 9-1 loss to the Texas Rangers.
