Williams' Curve Had Us Beat All Night… But I Still Believe in Shohei
Cleveland starter Williams completely dominated us tonight. Ohtani showed some grit working a walk, but got eaten alive by that curve three times. Freeman gave us a little pride with a late homer, but man, this one stings.
Highlights
- Shohei grinding out a 6-pitch walk in the 1st, putting real pressure on Cleveland's battery
- A 91.4 mph groundball in the 6th just barely avoided a double play, but the scoring chance slipped away
- Freeman's solo shot in the 9th — a proud reminder that the Dodgers never quit
First Inning — Shohei Gets On Base! Or So We Thought…
Oh man, when Shohei worked that walk in the bottom of the 1st, I literally yelled "YES!" at my TV. Six pitches, full patience — honestly that's as good as a hit in my book. He laid off the cutter and sweeper beautifully, and you know that had to put some pressure on their battery. The problem was nobody could keep it going after him…
Williams, I'll Give You Credit — Just For Tonight
That third-inning at-bat where Shohei couldn't touch the curve? Frustrating as hell, but I'll be honest — Williams' curve tonight was absolutely filthy. The break on that thing was unreal. And then Arias goes and hits a homer in the same inning — I can only imagine the vibe in the dugout. I know our pitching staff is grinding, but when you give up a run first, even a solo shot, the momentum just shifts over to them.
The 6th Inning Near-Double Play — That One Hurt
Bottom of the 6th, we had a chance and it came around to Shohei — I literally put my beer down. Then one cutter later, groundball… He hit it 91.4 mph off the bat, I thought he got a piece of it, but it died after just 13 feet. Williams' pitch sequencing was just too good tonight. At least it rolled toward first so we dodged the double play, but a hit there could've changed everything. So frustrating.
8th Inning — Three Curves, Game Over
Bottom of the 8th, Shohei steps up again. And guess what? More curves. Three straight 82 mph breaking balls and he couldn't time a single one. Look, I get it — nobody can hit that when you're getting that kind of speed differential thrown at you. And then Ramirez adds a dagger homer in the 8th to basically ice it. That's when I knew it was done. Which just makes it hurt even more.
Freeman With the Pride Homer!
But hey — Freeman going yard in the bottom of the 9th? That was awesome. Down 0-4 and still swinging for real — that's Dodgers culture right there. That's who we are. Freeman, what a guy. Made it 1-4. On paper it's a blowout, but we showed we fight until the last out.
Shohei, Your Time Is Coming
Tonight's line for Shohei: 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, 1 groundout. Not gonna sugarcoat it — not what we wanted. But Williams' curve was just on another level tonight. Shohei's human, there are gonna be nights like this. What I keep coming back to is that first at-bat — six pitches, worked the walk, kept the pressure on. That's the Shohei we know. Next time up, he's gonna make them pay. That's just who he is. We believe, we wait, and he delivers.