Shohei Ohtani’s every step, swing and smile were intensely followed this week during his homecoming at the Tokyo Dome, an event that would make most mortals wilt under the pressure.
The Japanese slugger was introduced before each at-bat to loud roars that continued until a few seconds before the pitch, when the crowd went into a silent trance that’s normally reserved for events like Wimbledon or the Masters. Every mighty hack – even if it produced a foul ball – drew gasps as roughly 42,000 fans waited to see if the national hero would deliver.
And then, he did.
Because of course he did.
Ohtani hit a towering solo homer in his return to Japan, taking Chicago Cubs pitcher Nate Pearson deep with a ball that barely cleared the fence in right-center field and helping the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 to sweep the two-game series in Tokyo.
“It’s kind of ridiculous,” Dodgers teammate Tommy Edman said. “It like he’s just playing a video game. We’re all out there grinding, trying to do anything we can to win a game, but he’s just playing a different game altogether.
“It is pretty crazy to see the stuff he does on a daily basis.”
It’s hard to fathom how much pressure Ohtani felt during his much-anticipated return to his home country, and manager Dave Roberts said he could feel the star’s emotions, particularly during the Japanese national anthem on Tuesday night. It seemed like his picture was on half the billboards in Tokyo, and a huge chunk of the pregame advertisements on the center field video board featured his face.
After admitting to some nerves during Tuesday’s opener, the slugger was more relaxed a day later.
It led to another baseball moment that will live in MLB lore for quite a while.
Ohtani turned on a 99 mph fastball from Pearson and the crowd roared as the ball traveled on a majestic arc deep into the outfield. A few fans reached for the ball but couldn’t make the catch. Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong threw the ball back into the stands and a 10-year-old Japanese boy was the lucky recipient to a valuable souvenir.
“I was happy I was able to hit a homer off a pretty good pitcher,” Ohtani said. “I thought the ball was going to travel a little bit more, but I’m glad it at least got in (the stands).”
The homer was upheld after an umpire review and gave the Dodgers a 6-2 lead, much to the delight of the roughly 42,000 in attendance.
It was another example of Ohtani rising to the moment in a big occasion. The 30-year-old also homered in an exhibition game on Saturday against the Yomiuri Giants.
“I know Shohei puts his pants on like we all do – one leg at a time,” manager Dave Roberts said. “But if there’s ever a superhero, I think Shohei just seems like a superstar. In the biggest of games, the biggest of moments, he always seems to deliver.”
The homer was Ohtani’s third hit in the two-game Tokyo Series. He was 2 for 5 with a double and a single in the Dodgers’ 4-1 win on Tuesday night.
“I’m happy that my teammates got to experience Japan on and off the field, but most importantly coming away with two wins is something really huge for us,” Ohtani said. “I’m glad we’re going to head back to the U.S. on a good note.”
Ohtani – who finished 1 for 3 with two walks on Wednesday – had two more plate appearances after the homer.
He was intentionally walked in the seventh, which was met with loud disapproval from the fans. Ohtani had one more chance in the ninth with runners on first and second with one out, but drew another walk to load the bases before Tommy Edman grounded into a double play.
It did little to damper the mood in Tokyo, where Ohtani’s excellence was on display again.
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