Key Moments of the Game
Home runs, go-ahead hits, and Japanese-vs-Japanese duels in order
- Go-AheadBot 4Score 1-0Andy PagesvsTanner BibeeSingle1 RBI
- Home RunBot 6Score 2-0Max MuncyvsKolby AllardHome Run1 RBI108.1 mph410 ft
- Muncy crushes a solo home run in the 6th to build the lead
- Ohtani slaps a first-pitch curveball for a 94.1 mph single in the 7th
- Andy Pages goes 2-for-the-night with hits in the 4th and 8th, factoring in on both scoring plays
WE WON!!! 4 to 1!!
Oh man, what a day. Absolutely perfect. Took care of Cleveland nice and clean — and Ohtani's at-bats? Chef's kiss, seriously.
1st Inning — Oof, Groundout
First at-bat, first inning — grounded out. That 71 mph curveball had him totally off-balance. Exit velo 71.7 mph, 73 feet... he got completely jammed. I literally yelled at my TV: "Come on, Shohei, get it together!" But hey, first at-bat, probably just trying to get a read on the pitching. I'll give him a pass.
3rd and 5th Innings — Back-to-Back Walks! That's My Guy!
Now THIS is what I'm talking about! Drew a walk off Bibee in the 3rd, then another one off Allard in the 5th. Allard threw four straight balls — FOUR! Dude was absolutely scared to death, lol. And honestly? Can you blame him? You don't challenge Ohtani when he's locked in like this. But here's the thing — those two walks happened because Ohtani kept his composure even in tough counts and laid off the bad ones. That's the mark of a true pro.
6th Inning — MUNCY GOES YARD!!!
Right when we needed a run, Muncy came through with a HOME RUN! I shot up off the couch screaming "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" This guy always shows up in the big moments. Muncy, you legend.
7th Inning — First-Pitch Curveball, Single!
This was the highlight of my night. After two walks, Ohtani comes up in the 7th and absolutely rockets the first-pitch curveball for a single. Exit velo 94.1 mph, short-hop 28 feet into the infield — but it found a hole. The focus it takes to attack the first pitch like that, after grinding through seven innings? That's Shohei Ohtani, baby. The man is just built different.
8th Inning — Festa Gets Him...
Aw man, struck out in his last at-bat. Festa set him up with the four-seamer, then put him away with the cutter. When they come at you with 91–92 mph fastballs as setup, it's really hard to read what's coming. But look — two walks AND a hit today? The OBP was through the roof. Shake it off, on to the next one!
8th-Inning Explosion Closes It Out
Teo got on, Pages came through with another hit, the 8th-inning rally put the nail in the coffin. Rocchio scored one in the 9th but at that point who cares. Bullpen did its job and held 'em down.
Final Thoughts
Ohtani didn't put up a flashy line today, but he did EXACTLY what this team needed — he got on base. Hit, walk, walk, hit, strikeout across five plate appearances. As a fan, I couldn't ask for more. The Dodgers won 4–1, and if they keep this up from Opening Day? Oh we're cooking. Already got the next game set to record. Let's GO Dodgers!!
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