Spanish
LOS ANGELES — In a spectacle only Shohei Ohtani can provide, the Japanese superstar was the protagonist on both ends of the diamond during the 5-2 victory of the Dodgers over the Minnesota Twins this Monday at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani allowed his first home run of the season in the opening of the game, courtesy of Byron Buxton, but quickly took revenge with his bat. In the bottom of the same inning, the two-time MVP responded with a two-run homer, his 35th of the campaign, projected at 441 feet by Statcast, with an exit velocity of 113.4 mph.
“Allow one… and then hit one yourself. There aren't many in history who can do that,” commented manager Dave Roberts. “That's Shohei.”
A historical fact
According to MLB.com, no pitcher had allowed and hit a home run in the first inning of the same game since Randy Lerch did it in 1979 with the Phillies. Ohtani, as usual, continues to defy what it means to be a Major League player. Furthermore, he already has five home runs in the first inning as a pitcher, an unprecedented figure: no other pitcher in history has more than two.From the Hill
Although he didn't have his most dominant outing, Ohtani limited the damage to that first hit. In 3.0 innings of work, he allowed four hits, one run, one walk and struck out three, replicating his line from his previous start. Of his 46 pitches, 11 resulted in balls in play with an average exit velocity of 97.5 mph or more, but only Buxton managed to convert it into tangible damage.Offensive Backup
In addition to Ohtani's home run, the Dodgers relied on the power of Will Smith, who hit two home runs, and a long hit by Cuban Andy Pagés, to cut a streak of three consecutive losses after the All-Star break. Reliever Dustin May (6-6) was key from the bullpen, throwing 4.2 scoreless innings, controlling the pace of the game and securing the victory for Los Angeles.Game Summary:
- Shohei Ohtani: 1 HR allowed, 1 HR hit, 3.0 IP, 3 K
- Will Smith: 2 HR
- Andy Pagés: 1 HR
- Dodgers: 5 HR, break losing streak
- Ohtani's pitching record remains, his impact as a hitter remains decisive.
