Key Moments of the Game
Home runs, go-ahead hits, and Japanese-vs-Japanese duels in order
- Ohtani goes off — double in the 1st, triple in the 2nd, one hit away from the cycle
- Freeman opens the scoring with a 102.2mph 2-run shot to right-center in the 1st
- Betts pulls away with a 104mph RBI in the 7th, but the Dodgers cling to a razor-thin 1-run win after Arizona claws back
Man, Shohei was LOCKED IN tonight!
I'm cracking a beer while texting on LINE, but first — just listen to this. Freeman goes yard right out of the gate in the 1st! A monster shot to right-center, 102.2mph off the bat and 394ft, and just like that we're up 2-0. What a way to start, baby!
And then there's Shohei. Shohei! A double in his very first at-bat, and a 105.7mph liner at that — he's squaring everything up perfectly. Didn't miss a pitch from Soroka. That alone would've made me happy, but then in the 2nd — a TRIPLE this time! Even at 90.9mph he laced a clean liner the other way, drove in a run, and made it 4-0. Double in the 1st, triple in the 2nd — that's a cycle watch, people!! All he needs now is a single and a homer. C'mon, you've gotta get your hopes up for this!
Things got a little dicey from the 5th on
But Arizona wasn't going down quietly. Carroll took one deep for a solo shot in the 3rd, and Marte's sac fly in the 5th got them another, chipping away one run at a time. Shohei grounded out on a jammed 72.4mph ball in the 5th… ah man, couldn't get the barrel on that one. But hey, he'd already gone nuts tonight, so no complaints from me.
The top of the 7th was the big one. Pages with a sac fly, then Betts roped a 104mph liner for an RBI — 6-2! Just when I thought we'd put it away though… they intentionally walked Shohei right there. They're scared of him, ha! Well, can't blame 'em the way he's swinging tonight.
The bottom of the 7th heart attack and hanging on
Then came the bottom half. Arenado smacked a 103.8mph double, a bases-loaded walk forced in a run, and suddenly it's 6-5. Are you kidding me — they pulled within one. I was screaming at the TV, "C'mon, shut it down, please!"
Shohei got one more crack in the 9th but struck out on a 94mph changeup after seeing 99… no cycle this time, but a double, a triple, and an intentional walk — that's more than enough of a rampage for one night. In the end the bullpen dug in and protected that one-run lead, and we held on 6-5!
A win's a win, and grinding out a one-run game on the road is what good teams do. Getting to watch Shohei rake like that made it the perfect night. Next time, mix in a single and go get that cycle, buddy!!
Japanese Players in This Game
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