Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday night faced his former team, the Los Angeles Angels, for the first time as a pitcher in what turned out to be a potentially crucial losing effort for the visitors.

Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound at Angel Stadium wasn’t just another start on the calendar — it was a collision of past and present, played out under the familiar orange glow of a Southern California summer night.

Starting pitchers to bat leadoff since 1900: Shohei Ohtani 18x 9/22/68 Cesar Tovar (played all 9 positions) 9/27/53 Al Dark (moved to 3B after the 1st, only career game pitched) 9/30/1901 Jim Jones