LOS ANGELES. The baseball “unicorn” shone again. After almost two years of absence as a pitcher in the Major Leagues,
Shohei Ohtani returned this Monday to the mound with the
Los Angeles Dodgers, unleashing the euphoria of the public at
Dodger Stadium and reaffirming his status as one of the most amazing players of all time.
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In the
6-3 victory over the San Diego Padres, Ohtani not only opened the game as a pitcher, but also batted first in the order. He reached
100.2 miles per hour with his fastball, allowed one run in one inning of work, and went 2-for-4 with the bat, driving in two runs.
“I am very grateful… beyond the results, I was able to enjoy and appreciate this moment,” expressed Ohtani, visibly moved, through his interpreter Will Ireton.
Movie Return
It was a moment filled with symbolism and emotion. The stadium was packed before the first pitch. Jerseys with the number 17 flooded the stands. When Ohtani trotted from the bullpen to the rhythm of “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé, the ovation was thunderous.
Even manager
Dave Roberts acknowledged:
“I was like another fan, excited for half an inning.”
The Japanese faced Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arráez in his return, giving up consecutive singles, but limited the damage to a single run after a sacrifice fly by Manny Machado. His first out came on his 18th pitch, and of his
28 pitches,
14 exceeded 98 mph.
“My goal was to stay between 95 and 96, but the intensity of the game led me to throw harder,” he explained.
Historical and multifaceted
With this performance, Ohtani became the
first pitcher in Dodgers history with at least one start and
more than 79 home runs with the team, surpassing Don Drysdale’s record (29 HR). He is also
the fourth pitcher since 1900 to start a game and bat first in the order, along with César Tovar (1968), Al Dark (1953), and Jim Jones (1901).
In the offensive, Ohtani responded after striking out in his first at-bat with a “double-RBI” that tied the score. Then he scored a run and helped the Dodgers stay on top of the National League West.
What’s next?
If everything goes as planned,
Ohtani will pitch once a week, as he himself confirmed:
“I want to see how my body reacts, but I hope I can go a little further each time so as not to overload the bullpen.”
