MLB/ Theエンバペ Big Sho: Ohtani hits tying 3-run homer in playoff debut for Los Angeles Dodgers in NLDS win

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

October 6, 2024 at 16:24 JST

• Share
• Tweet list

• Print

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, middle left, connects for a three-run home run off San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) during the second inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series on Oct. 5 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo)

LOS ANGELES--Shohei Ohtani rewrote the record book during his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, he's getting a chance to make more history in his highly anticipated playoff debut.

Ohtani hit a tying, three-run homer with two outs in the second inning to help Los Angeles win its Division Series opener Saturday night. The Dodgers went on to a 7-5 victory over the San Diego Padres, a team they battled down to the wire before earning their 11th NL West title in 12 years.

“It’s been insane how good he’s been with runners in scoring position,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “When he does get those opportunities you feel like he’s going to cash them in.”

The Japanese superstar sent a 2-1 pitch from Dylan Cease into right field for a 372-foot shot that had the sellout crowd of 53,028 — including actors Brad Pitt and Rob Lowe — on its feet.

“I could really feel the intensity of the stadium before the game began and I thoroughly enjoyed it,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.

He finished 2 for 5 with three RBIs, two runs scored and two strikeouts as 88-year-old Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax looked on from behind home plate.

“It was pretty exciting,” Ohtani said.

He flied out to left in his first at-bat.

“The focus was really on just having my swing, the quality at-bat that I look for despite being in an excited, high-intensity environment,” Ohtani said. “Although I was out that at-bat, I felt pretty good and wanted to carry that on throughout the other at-bats.”

The Padres had taken a 3-0 lead in the first against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani's countryman who is also making his postseason debut in the best-of-five National League Division Series.

Ohtani, who batted .310 during the regular season, drove in Will Smith, who walked, and Gavin Lux, who singled, to make it 3-3.

“It just got the momentum back for us and just gave us life,” Roberts said. “From pitch one, the fans were just engaged, were in it. I just felt that energy. I think Shohei feeds off that.”

San Diego went ahead 5-3 before the Dodgers rallied with three runs in the fourth. Ohtani had a broken-bat single and later scored, along with Mookie Betts, on Teoscar Hernández's single that gave the Dodgers their first lead, 6-5.

“It's really difficult for a playoff team to be able to get into and feel comfortable playing in the first game of the postseason, especially with the long layoff, but I think everyone really contributed,” Ohtani said.

Ohtani appeared amped in the dugout before the game. In the batter's box, he seemingly flipped a switch and was laser-focused on the task at hand.

“You can even see it in his first at-bat, just the discipline in the strike zone, to get back into a count and then to fly out,” Roberts said. “I just really have never seen a guy in the biggest of moments come through as consistently as he has. I wish a lot of other players had that ability. He’s just very unique.”

Ohtani is getting his first chance on the October stage after spending the past six years with the Los Angeles Angels, who never had a winning record during his tenure.

He signed a record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers as a free agent in December. The two-way phenom didn’t pitch this season while rehabbing from a second major elbow surgery. That allowed him to focus on his offense, and he became the first major league player with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season.

• ·推しを幸せにするためなら、なんだってしてみせる「悪役令嬢にできること。」1巻（試し読みあり）
• ·【新潟記念】ジューンアヲニヨシが目黒記念１２着から巻き返す　松下調教師「前走は出遅れがすべて」
• ·８・３０園田競馬ナイター開催は台風１０号の影響で中止の可能性　兵庫県競馬組合発表
• ·「お前…ッ 男だったのか…!?」びみ太が描く、ヤンキー御曹司とメイドショタの物語
• ·「ダーウィンズゲーム」のFLIPFLOPs、剣と魔法と冒険を描く「ロードマギアの弟子」
• ·男子８００Ｍ日本記録保持者の落合晃が１分５０秒６７の組２着で準決勝進出…陸上Ｕ２０世界選手権
• ·【小倉２歳Ｓ】良血ポートデラメールはデビュー２戦目の上積みあり　陣営「体が硬くならず柔軟性がある」
• ·早田ひな、五輪報告会で感謝の涙　４年後へ決意新た「人のために頑張る方が好き。期待に応えたい」
• ·玉木代表、連日の会見はピリピリムード　プライベート質問ＮＧ要請も記者から質問相次ぎ「脇が甘かった」
• ·「妻、小学生になる。」新ビジュアル公開、小島幸子＆岩中睦樹出演　OP担当はpachae（コメントあり）
• ·【京王閣競輪】大槻寛徳が今年２度目のＳ級優勝！～Ｆ１「後閑信一日本名輪会カップ　報知新聞社杯」
• ·くたびれサラリーマンと幼なじみの美少女JKが結婚を前提に同棲、ばふぁこ新刊
• ·不倫発覚の国民民主党・玉木雄一郎代表、自身のＸでも謝罪「信頼を大きく裏切るものであったことを痛感」
• ·【ボートレース】７年ぶりの超久々水面で瓜生正義が躍動「足はまずまず」堂々の白星発進
• ·「うる星やつら」展　ヒロイン集結のキービジュアル、グッズ付きチケットの弁当箱公開
• ·本当は夫に愛されていた…？過去に戻り、結婚生活をやり直すロマファン開幕