- Ohtani's 7th-inning home run (109.8mph, 382ft)
- Ohtani's 5th-inning double (108.8mph) puts him one triple from the cycle
- Shohei dominates the Japanese showdown with Shota Imanaga
Man, today was just the best
First off, the opposing starter was Shota Imanaga. A fellow Japanese guy holding down a rotation spot for the Cubs — as a Dodgers fan he's the enemy, but you can't help but pay attention, right? Tops out at 93mph, sits around 86, and pitches like a craftsman building things up carefully. Real cerebral guy. I respect him, I really do — but today our Shohei just had his number all the way through.
Shohei, you're literally one triple away from the cycle here
First at-bat in the bottom of the 1st, he grinds out a full count right away and draws a walk. Lays off Imanaga's sweeper AND splitter perfectly — this is the stuff, getting to work from the very first inning. Just reaching base is plenty for me.
Bottom of the 2nd, a compact 93.4mph liner pushed into right field for a single. Pulled Imanaga's sweeper and slipped it through — no overswinging, just clean bat control. Classic Shohei.
Then bottom of the 5th. A 108.8mph rocket for a double. Absolutely crushed. He took Imanaga's sweeper — a tough one out of the zone — and somehow drove it that far. Exit velo over 108mph, I literally screamed "WOOOO!" at my TV.
Then bottom of the 7th. First-pitch sinker, gone, deep into the stands. 109.8mph at 382 feet, absolute perfection. So that's a walk, single, double, and home run. He's literally one triple away from the cycle. Dude was out there trying to win the game single-handedly. Goosebumps, man.
The matchup with Seiya Suzuki was must-watch for Japanese fans too
The Cubs also have Seiya Suzuki over there. He went 0-for-4 today, but Seiya'll bounce back next game, no doubt. And Imanaga went 6 innings with 6 strikeouts and worked out of jams — nice outing too. As a Japanese-on-Japanese showdown, this was a seriously stacked card.
Team rolled 6-0 with a shutout, no complaints
Pages drove in a run with a sac fly in the 1st, Rojas added a 2-run double, Rushing came through with a clutch hit in the 6th, and then Shohei's bomb in the 7th put it at 6-0. The starting staff completely shut down the Cubs lineup for the shutout. Hitting, pitching, defense — when it all comes together like this, it's the best.
Beer tastes good tonight. Bring it again tomorrow, Dodgers!
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