Key Moments of the Game
Home runs, go-ahead hits, and Japanese-vs-Japanese duels in order
- Top 3rd: Shohei demolishes a cutter for a 438-ft, 114.6 mph laser of a solo homer
- Top 8th: Espinal → Tucker → Shohei sac fly — a clutch rally sequence that tied the game
- Top 9th: Teoscar Hernandez's go-ahead homer seals the road comeback win
Honestly, by the 4th inning I thought it was over
Nationals game, on the road, and we came back to win 8-6. Man, my heart was pounding the whole time.
It started rough — Shohei struck out in the first at-bat. We had a 2-0 count going and then he chased a sweeper. I was yelling at my TV like, "Come on Shohei, swing at the first pitch!" Total facepalm moment.
But then the 3rd inning happened. Of course it did.
That 3rd inning homer — that's when I knew we had a shot
He absolutely crushed a cutter — 114.6 mph exit velocity, 438 feet — solo shot gone! I jumped out of my seat, alone in my living room like an idiot. Who pulls a cutter at that angle?! And right after getting punched out in the first inning! That's the mental toughness of Shohei Ohtani right there.
But the momentum didn't stick. When Wood hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the 4th to make it 1-3, I started getting nervous.
Down 6 runs, I'll be honest…
Shohei came through again in the 5th with a nice little left-field double off a splitter (94.9 mph exit velo), but then Rushing went yard in the 6th and it was 1-6. Five runs down.
I thought, "today might just not be our day." But as long as Shohei's in the lineup, Dodgers fans don't quit.
The 8th inning rally — pure magic
Down 3 in the 8th, I was sipping my beer thinking "probably not gonna happen" — and then Espinal drives one in, Tucker's grounder brings home two more, and suddenly it's 5-6! That's when my hands started sweating.
Then Shohei steps up. Full count. He lifts a sac fly to the outfield — 102.1 mph, 344 feet — and we're tied! This guy just DELIVERS in the big moments. A homer, a double, and a sac fly. He gives the team exactly what it needs, exactly when it needs it. That 7th inning groundout where he got jammed on a sinker? Already forgot about it.
Teoscar finished it off perfectly
Tied going into the 9th, and Teoscar Hernandez goes yard! LET'S GO! That made it 7-6, we tacked on another run, and we walked away with an 8-6 win.
Shohei went 1 HR, 1 double, 1 sac fly in 5 plate appearances. Yeah, that 4th at-bat groundout wasn't pretty, but everything else? Pure clutch. This is Shohei Ohtani. We erased a 5-run deficit on the road, and I truly believe we never stopped believing because Shohei was in that lineup.
Do it again next game, Shohei!
Japanese Players in This Game
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