Shohei Ohtani makes history with his 1,000th hit, but the Dodgers bullpen collapses in a 5-3 loss to the Cardinals on Aug 7, 2025. A historic night wasted.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a script only baseball could write. Shohei Ohtani, the game's singular two-way phenom, blasted his 1,000th career hit—a two-run homer—and then proceeded to strike out a season-high eight batters in a dominant four-inning start. For a moment, Dodger Stadium was electric, celebrating history. But that magic evaporated into the late-night air as the bullpen once again faltered, surrendering a 3-1 lead in the final innings and handing the St. Louis Cardinals a deflating 5-3 victory.
Shohei Ohtani is the first player in MLB history to reach 1,000 career hits while also recording 500+ strikeouts as a pitcher.
The main event on Thursday was, without a doubt, the Shohei Ohtani show. He stepped to the plate and launched a home run that not only gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead but also marked his 1,000th career hit. On the mound, he was just as electric, allowing only one run and two hits while fanning eight Cardinals, including striking out the side in his final inning of work. It was a masterful display of the two-way dominance that makes him a living legend, a performance that deserved to be the centerpiece of a victory.
Unfortunately, Ohtani's brilliance was erased by the team's most glaring weakness. The Dodgers carried a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning, only to see it crumble. Alex Vesia took the loss after giving up a game-tying single to Jordan Walker, followed by a costly throwing error from rookie Alex Freeland that allowed the go-ahead run to score. Brock Stewart then surrendered an insurance run in the ninth on a double by Lars Nootbaar. It was the second straight game where a late-inning lead was squandered, pushing the bullpen's ERA to a concerning 5.12 over the last week.
While the team struggled on the field, the front office was busy shaping the future. The Dodgers officially parted ways with infielder Gavin Lux, trading him to the Cincinnati Reds for outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a competitive balance draft pick. Lux, a former top prospect whose Dodger career was hampered by injuries, gets a fresh start. In return, the Dodgers get the Reds' No. 8 prospect in Sirota, a speedy 22-year-old who has already reported to Double-A Tulsa and promptly recorded a hit, a walk, and a stolen base in his debut. In a smaller move, pitcher Jack Little was claimed off waivers by the Pirates.
On the injury front, there was some good news as Max Muncy was activated from the IL on August 4 and was back in the lineup at third base. However, the team is still without key contributors Tommy Edman (sprained ankle) and reliever Kirby Yates (lower back pain), whose absence is keenly felt in the struggling bullpen. For now, the team seems to have avoided any new injuries, but getting fully healthy will be critical for the stretch run.
It was a night that perfectly encapsulated the 2025 Dodgers: transcendent, top-tier talent capable of making history, undermined by a frustratingly volatile bullpen. While the front office is clearly looking to the future with the Lux trade, the immediate question is whether this current relief corps can hold a lead when it matters most. With a record of 67-48, the Dodgers are still in a great position, but nights like this are a stark reminder that individual brilliance can't win championships alone. The team needs to find answers, and fast.
