Shohei Ohtani labored through a blister on his right middle finger and lingering left knee soreness during Wednesday's start against Tampa Bay, allowing four runs in the fifth inning before settling for a no-decision. The two-way star gave up five hits on 26 pitches in that disastrous frame, marking the first time this season he's permitted multiple earned runs in consecutive outings.

Despite Ohtani's struggles, Los Angeles rallied behind Freddie Freeman's two-run homer and manufactured a 5-4 victory to complete their second-ever series sweep of the Rays. Ohtani (7-2) rebounded with a clean sixth inning before exiting, and later grounded out in his pinch-hit at-bat for Miguel Rojas. Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani felt comfortable swinging despite the injuries.

The performance pushed Ohtani's ERA to 1.47 through 12 starts, still ranking second in the majors among pitchers with at least 50 innings. He's allowed eight runs over his last two outings after yielding just seven earned runs across his first 10 starts. Catcher Dalton Rushing dismissed concerns, saying the team expects excellence but sees no reason for alarm.

Ohtani's offensive surge continued with five homers in his last nine games while hitting .367 during that span. His knee issue previously forced him to miss a game in Chicago, snapping a four-start winning streak that had defined his stellar mound work.