Shohei Goes 4 At-Bats! So Close Yet So Far for the Dodgers Today
Ohtani sparked chances across all 4 at-bats including a 1st inning hit, but the offense couldn't sustain it and the team fell in a tough loss. That 325-foot fly ball in the 8th was SO close. Gutting defeat, but Shohei's bat is alive and well!
Highlights
- Bottom 1st — Ohtani's first hit: Jammed but still carries 205 feet for a hit, pure arm strength on display
- Bottom 8th — Ohtani's 325-foot fly ball: 90 mph exit velo, 34-degree angle — just inches away from a home run
- Bottom 9th — Mookie to Freeman: A gutsy run scored, refusing to go down without a fight
Man, I'm Too Frustrated to Sleep Tonight
The Dodgers had been rolling since Opening Day, but today Cleveland got us. 2-4. The margin wasn't huge, but something just didn't click... Still, Shohei gave it everything he had, I mean it.
Bottom 1st — Shohei Lit the Fire Right Away!
Right from the jump, it was like "HERE WE GO!" He fouled off the first sinker, then they came back with the same sinker. I'm sitting there thinking "don't throw him the same pitch again" — and Shohei goes ahead and drills it for a hit! Exit velo of 67 mph, basically jammed — but it still carries 205 feet for a hit. That's what Shohei Ohtani is all about. Pure arm strength, getting it airborne even off the end of the bat. I caught myself raising my beer in the air without even thinking.
Bottom 3rd — Worked a 7-Pitch At-Bat and Still Nothing…
Oh man, this one hurt the most. He ran the count to 3 balls and I'm screaming "take the walk!" — then he got overpowered at the end and lined out. Exit velo 92 mph (about 148 km/h), he absolutely barreled that ball. A 326-foot liner that just dies in the glove — what kind of defense is that? Shohei did nothing wrong, absolutely nothing!
Bottom 6th — The Changeup Got Him
Okay... gotta be honest about this one. Three changeups and he was spinning in circles. That final 85 mph changeup had him completely out in front. But look — getting fooled by a changeup that slow happens to everyone. Credit to the pitcher for mixing it up well. I was already thinking about how Shohei would make his adjustment next time up.
Bottom 8th — If That One Goes Out…!
This right here — this was the "AWWWWW!" moment of the game. 325 feet, 34-degree launch angle, 90 mph exit velo. Those numbers say it should've been gone, easy. He got a little jammed on the slider, but even then — that's the kind of distance Shohei gives you. Down 0-4 in the 8th, I was begging for that one with everything I had. I nearly knocked my beer over on that one.
As for the Team Overall…
Mookie doubled in the 9th and Freeman knocked in a run on a groundout — they showed some fight at the end. But three runs was just too much to overcome. Giving up 2 in the 7th really killed us. That Schneemann RBI double — oof, that was a tough one.
A loss is a loss, but Shohei's bat was working in all 4 at-bats. The lineout, the flyout — the contact was quality. They'll bounce back next game, I know it. Shohei, next one's yours!