- Top of the 3rd: Ohtani jumped on a full-count sweeper for a go-ahead home run to right-center (107.7 mph, 391 ft)
- Ohtani reached base in all 4 plate appearances — walk, home run, single, walk
- Rojas drove in insurance runs in the 7th and 8th as the Dodgers held off the Pirates' late charge
The Shohei Show Started in the First Inning
Man, what a night in Pittsburgh. Top of the 1st, Shohei draws a walk right out of the gate. Down 2-2 in the count, he just calmly laid off the sweeper and the curve — seriously, what IS that batting eye? You could tell Keller wanted no part of him.
Top of the 3rd — THERE IT GOES!!!
And then it happened in the top of the 3rd. WOOOOO!!! SHOHEI HOME RUUUUN!!! He worked it from 3 balls to a full count, stayed patient, and when that sweeper drifted over the plate — BAM, dead center of the barrel. A 107.7 mph line drive screaming 391 feet into right-center. A 21-degree liner shot — that's not a home run, that's a work of art. First run of the game, and I literally yelled "We've got this today!" all by myself in my living room.
After that, Tucker dropped in a bloop RBI single to make it 3-0, and in the 4th Freeman ripped a clean RBI liner to left-center for 4-0. Shohei added a hit that inning too — a 108.7 mph rocket grounder through the right side. A 108 mph GROUNDER? That's a bullet crawling along the dirt.
Bottom of the 5th — Wait Wait Wait a Minute
Then, up 5-1, the bottom of the 5th. Flores crushes a monster 440-foot bomb, then Lowe goes deep right after him, and suddenly it's 5-4. Are you KIDDING me... I nearly crushed my beer can. But hey, what matters is what happens AFTER you get hit. The bullpen dug in from there and held the line. Great job settling things back down.
Quietly Clutch Rojas — That's the Stuff That Wins Games
Top of the 7th, a run scores on Rojas's fielder's choice to make it 6-4. Then in the top of the 8th, Rojas lifts a sac fly to left-center for 8-4. Nothing flashy about it, but teams with guys who can grab that one run when you NEED it — those are the teams that win. Rojas, my man, you were the shadow MVP tonight.
When Mangum and Flores doubled in the bottom of the 8th to close it to 8-6, my heart honestly couldn't take it, but we held on for the win. LET'S GOOOO!
Shohei — On Base in All 4 Plate Appearances?!
And that 4th plate appearance in the top of the 5th — down 2 strikes, he laid off a sweeper and curves three pitches in a row, fouled off a 98 mph sinker to stay alive, and drew the walk. Walk, home run, hit, walk — on base ALL FOUR times. The opposing battery had "we do NOT want to pitch to this guy" written all over their faces.
Winning like this on the road is HUGE. My DVR is already set for tomorrow. Shohei, we're counting on you again tomorrow!!
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