TOKYO — Shohei Ohtani produced on command.
Once more.
Simply as he did when he performed within the World Baseball Basic. Simply as he did when he reached the 40-40 and 50-50 homer-steals milestones final season. Simply as he did in his first playoff sport with the Dodgers.
Technically, the sport by which Ohtani performed on Saturday evening was an exhibition sport.
In actuality, it was greater than that.
Lots of the followers who packed the Tokyo Dome paid a whole lot, if not hundreds, of {dollars} to look at the Dodgers play the Yomiuri Giants. Tickets for the sport had been promoting on the secondary marketplace for upwards of $600.
Years from now, individuals who weren’t right here will declare they had been. The individuals who really had been right here gained’t be complaining in regards to the outrageous ticket costs.
Moments are what stick with followers, and Ohtani delivered one other within the Dodgers’ 5-1 victory.
In his second at-bat of his first sport carrying a significant league uniform in his dwelling nation, Ohtani was thrown a curveball by Giants right-hander Shosei Togo that remained over the plate.
Ohtani pounced on the error, launching the ball midway up the right-field stands.
“It went up at a good angle, so even though it was [hit] a little with the end [of the bat], I thought it would get in,” Ohtani stated in Japanese.
In individual, the individuals right here witnessed scenes with which that they had turn into acquainted on tv.
The waving of his palms within the course of the bench as he rounded the bases.
The tossing of sunflower seeds by Teoscar Hernández.
Ohtani knew the sport counted, though it didn’t.
“So many people came,” he stated, “even though it was an exhibition.”
