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| LA Dodgers Shohei Ohtani roars after hitting a superior solo home run in the top of the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium on the 13th (Korea time). AP Yonhap News |
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'Gain' Shohei Ohtani hits a home run, but the team can't win. The Los Angeles Dodgers, the defending champion of the World Series, are in a dilemma.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, which were like the "National League West's leading man" , are unusual. Other than Ohtani, the remaining eight field players plus pitchers. The other nine players are having a hard time.
Ohtani has shown off his strength with home runs in four consecutive games, but this has not led to the team's victory. The Dodgers have fallen into a slump of 4-6 in 10 games, including their last three consecutive losses. As a result, it failed to keep its first place in the NL West alone.
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| Otani is looking at the ball after hitting a superior solo home run in the top of the ninth inning. AFP Yonhap News |
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In an away game against the Los Angeles Angels held at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on the morning of the 13th (Korea time), the Los Angeles Dodgers allowed a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th inning and eventually lost 6-7. The loss caused the Dodgers to lose three consecutive games, and they became joint leaders in the district with the San Diego Padres, who won four consecutive games by beating the San Francisco Giants 5-1.
Ohtani came out as the first designated hitter on the day and played relatively well with one hit (one home run) in three at-bats (one home run), two walks, two runs and an RBI. However, he caused damage to the team by committing a rare triple play.
Ohtani, who hit a home run in three consecutive games until the previous day, walked in the first two at-bats in the top of the first and second innings of the day. Then, with one out in the top of the fifth inning, he only hit a fly ball to the first base. The opponent's battery tried to avoid a head-to-head match as much as possible whenever Ohtani was at bat. In the top of the fifth inning, he threw a high ball from 2B1S, but Ohtani swung the bat and was out.
Ohtani even made a disgraceful result in the top of the sixth inning, perhaps because he couldn't hit in three at-bats. Ohtani, who came to the batter's box in the top of the sixth inning with no outs and runners on the first and second bases, pulled the outside four-seam fastball (97.1 miles) from the ball count 2B2S and hit it toward the second base.
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| Otani hit a direct out to shortstop in the top of the sixth inning, and when both runners were out and triple-play, they closed their mouths and were disappointed. AFP Yonhap News |
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Angels shortstop Jack Neto, who was located near the second base, flattened Ohtani's nose with his best play. Neto, who moved Ohtani's ball, which was about to cross the second base, slightly to the right, stretched out his left arm to make an out count, forced out Miguel Rojas, a runner on second base who was about to step on the second base himself and go to third base.
He then immediately threw to the first base and caught Dalton Rushing, who was running to the second base. Rushing rushed to first base, but was tagged out by Angels first baseman Nolan Shanuel, who received Neto's throw. Ohtani, who became a scapegoat for the rare triple play, could not hide his anger and embarrassment at the batter's box.
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| Otani is staring at the ground as if he was angry when he was humiliated by triple-killing as both runners were out after being hit out with a straight hit to shortstop at the first and second bases with no outs in the top of the sixth inning. Photo = MLB.TV Capture |
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Ohtani put this anger on the bat in the next at-bat. Ohtani, who came out as a leadoff hitter in the top of the ninth inning at 5-5, hit a 92.4 mph (about 148.7 km) cut fastball by his former Dodgers teammate Kelly Jansen on the second pitch.
The batting speed reached 114.8 miles (184.8 kilometers). It was a tremendous destructive force. In the end, the ball went well over the right fence. The moment Ohtani achieved his 43rd of the season with four consecutive home runs. With this home run, Ohtani became the only home run leader in the National League, beating Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies, 42 home runs), and narrowing the gap with Carl Raleigh (Seattle Mariners, 45 home runs) who ranks first in the entire Major League.
However, the Dodgers lost another chance to win created by Ohtani. Alex Besia, who finished in the bottom of the ninth inning with a one-run lead, allowed Sanuel to make a sacrifice fly after causing a one-out bases-loaded crisis, tying the game 6-6. The game went to extra time.
The Dodgers wasted a chance in vain with a three-out error in the top of the 10th inning. On the other hand, the Angels won the game again with Joe Adele hitting a timely hit on the first and third bases with no outs. It was a game that could burn the heart of manager Dave Roberts. How can the Dodgers solve this dilemma when Ohtani is the only one in the spotlight. It became the biggest topic at the end of the season.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
