During a thrilling game, Shohei Ohtani participated in a triple play and also hit a home run that put his team ahead in the ninth inning. This combination of plays has happened only three times in MLB history, making it one of the rarest feats in the sport.
The last player to do so was Henry Rodriguez in 2000 and before him, Willie Davis in 1962, who was the only one whose team won the game after making both plays. Now, Ohtani joins that select and peculiar group, showing that he is not only an offensive and defensive phenomenon, but also a protagonist of the most improbable moments.
Shohei Ohtani: The Dodgers’ key player in decisive moments
What distinguishes Shohei Ohtani is not only his ability as a hitter or pitcher, but his ability to appear when his team needs him most. His ninth-inning hit was a blow that put the Dodgers ahead and made them dream of pulling off a victory, but in the bottom of the ninth they were tied, sending the game to extra innings and finally saw a 7-6 defeat
Unlike other great talents, Ohtani leaves his mark in each of his encounters and knows how to recover from difficult moments, such was the case in this game when he had runners on first and second, had the possibility of scoring runs, but a triple play ended the threat.
Why is it almost impossible to repeat what Shohei Ohtani did?
Turning a triple play by itself is a rare occurrence in baseball, relying on a combination of reflexes, timing and opponent errors. Adding a home run in the same game raises the difficulty. That’s why this combination has only been seen three times in more than a century of MLB.
Every season, Ohtani redefines what we thought was possible on the diamond, and this latest feat, which seemed buried in the darkest archives of Major League Baseball, is another example of how his career is destined to break the mold.
Read the full article here
