Shohei Goes 3-for-3, But the Lineup Came Up Just Short

Man, Shohei flat-out RAKED today, no joke

Hey gang! Out in Arizona against the D-backs, and I'll give it to you straight — we lost 1-4. Stings, I know... but listen, listen, Ohtani went 3-for-3 today! THREE hits! Reaching base three times in four at-bats — the man is locking in, I'm telling you.

First inning, he leads off and grounds one toward second. Exit velo was 95.6 mph, but the launch angle was minus-12 degrees — he just chopped it straight into the ground... let out a little "ugh" on that one. But you know me, on days like this I just KNEW he'd get 'em next time.

That third-inning double — THIS, right here!

Then comes the third. A line-drive double into the left-center gap! 102.8 mph off the bat, 22-degree launch angle — absolutely squared up. I was up out of my chair in front of the TV. Going from an early groundout to making that kind of adjustment in one swing — that's our Shohei right there... We scratched across a run on Freeman's groundout to second that inning, and I'm sitting there going, "Yes! Here comes the momentum!"

In the fifth he muscled another liner into center for a hit, and in the eighth he legged out a dribbler of a grounder into right-center. Just an 80 mph grounder, but he stays on it and sneaks it through the infield. Three straight times on base — his body is in hit-mode now. He's got the wheels too, and man, I cannot WAIT to watch him start wreaking havoc out there.

The problem? Nobody behind him kept it going

But here's the thing... as much as Shohei kept getting on, Betts and Freeman just couldn't come up with the big knock. We got Freeman's RBI early, but that insurance run never came. Stuck on one run — that's a little sad, I won't lie.

And then their extra-base hits got us... Solo shot from Toro in the sixth, another solo from Arenado in the seventh, and that flipped the lead. The cherry on top was the eighth — Marte. A 111.9 mph laser down the left-field line. That kind of exit velo is just perfect contact — nothing you can do there. Putting a 19-degree liner into the seats at that speed? Tip your cap, that's impressive... as much as it kills me.

Eh, we won't dwell on it — on to the next one

Final: 1-4 loss. A loss is a loss and it hurts, but the biggest takeaway is Shohei banging out three hits and rounding into form. Once this lineup clicks, we'll bounce right back. We're on the road, these days happen.

Tomorrow, if the kind of contact Shohei made on that double catches on with the whole team, we can break it wide open in a hurry. I'm gonna crack another beer and head to bed. Next game — we are absolutely winning it, let's GOOO!