Shohei Had a Tough Day at the Plate, But Hey — Dodgers Always Find a Way to Win!
Shohei went 0-for-3 and was intentionally walked in his last plate appearance. But his contact wasn't bad at all, and what really matters is we pulled out the W. Tucker's go-ahead RBI single made it 2-1 — man, what a rush!
Highlights
- Freeman's RBI groundout in the bottom of the 1st to tie it up immediately
- Shohei's 110 mph scorcher in the 3rd — crushed it but the launch angle just wasn't there
- Tucker's go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the 8th for the 2-1 win
Hey, We Won So I Can't Complain!
So right off the bat, Lindor takes us deep with a solo shot in the first. I'm sitting there like, "Oh come on, seriously?" Going down early against the Mets is never a great feeling. But that's when our man Freeman stepped up. Tied it right back up with an RBI groundout — 1-1. It's not flashy, but that's exactly the kind of clutch work Freddie does best.
Let's Talk About Shohei's At-Bats
Alright, so Shohei… yeah, things just didn't quite click for him today.
That liner out in the first inning wasn't bad at all. Sure, the curveball got him, but he still hit a line drive. Exit velo was 88 mph — decent enough, and the contact quality was fine.
The third inning was the real heartbreaker. 110 mph exit velocity — he absolutely crushed that 97 mph fastball. But the launch angle was -8 degrees, so it just got hammered straight into the ground. I literally yelled at my TV, "Oh come ON, if that ball just gets up a little!" It was all about the angle, just the angle.
Sixth inning, he got a bit jammed. Launch angle of 38 degrees — popped it up too much — and only 85 mph off the bat. He got overpowered on that one. Hey, it happens.
Then comes the eighth. Game's tied 1-1, Shohei comes up and they intentionally walk him. I mean, of course they did! You think the other team wants any part of Shohei in that situation? They'd held him hitless through three at-bats and STILL walked him — that's how scared they are. Honestly, I take that as a compliment.
Tucker Seals the Deal!
Right after that intentional walk — Tucker comes through with an RBI single! 2-1! That's what team baseball is all about. Shohei goes hitless, draws the walk, and the guy behind him drives him in. I got goosebumps, I'm not gonna lie.
Look, Shohei went 0-for-3 today, but when you look at that 110 mph grounder and the line-drive out, his actual contact wasn't bad at all. His swing doesn't look broken or anything — I'm actually feeling good about what's coming next. Days like this, where the team still finds a way to win even when your star doesn't get the hits? That's huge.
Let's go Shohei, bring it tomorrow — I'm counting on you!