Shohei Ohtani may have some pent-up energy to burn off after taking a few days off from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ everyday lineup.
If that’s the case, the two-way superstar will likely get out of this jam by sprinting on the bases for a “Little League home run” in Saturday’s 15-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
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Ohtani hit a changeup into the right outside corner in the eighth inning against Alec Manoa at Angel Stadium. The ball bounced off the warning track on its way into the stands.
However, the ball then bounced off the protective netting set up along the first-base line. Angels right fielder Joe Adell stopped chasing the ball, thinking the hit was a ground-rule double. However, the referee did not make such a ruling and the game was still going on.
Ohtani went to third base for a triple, but Adell’s pitch skipped second baseman Oswald Peraza and rolled into the infield. That gave Ohtani a “Little League home run.” Or, as the official score goes, Adell’s triple and an error. In this game, the Dodgers scored three runs to take a 9-2 lead.
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The game was reviewed and Angels manager Kurt Suzuki believed the fan interference should have allowed Ohtani to get a double play. However, the ground rules at Angel Stadium – newly enacted with the net installed this season – state that the ball, properly maintained in play, must be out of play.
The basic rule states: “A ball that hits the front of the net, even if it hits the camera, is live and in play unless it is jammed or deemed unplayable (i.e. passes completely through the net).”
“Obviously, it was a tough game,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki told reporters afterward. “The ball bounced into the stands with two bases before the Nets got off the line. But we just challenged it and we thought maybe [it] Might have hit the fan, but apparently not. So, you know, it’s unfortunate. “
After Ohtani sprinted around the bases, Mookie Betts hit his fourth homer of the season — a true homer that sailed over the left-field wall and into the stands — to give the Dodgers a 10-2 lead. Ohtani hit a three-run double in the ninth inning off Manoa, who had allowed eight earned runs, six hits and three runs in just 1 1/3 innings.
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Ohtani finished with five RBIs, going 2 for 4 with two hits. His downturn (he’s slashed .159/.275/.273 as of May) may be over. Over the past three games, Ohtani is 5-for-12 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and six RBIs.
“We were hoping to reset with a few days off, and I think that’s what happened,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “I think he just felt better and faster with the bat.”
The Dodgers have won four straight games after losing four in a row and hold a half-game lead over the San Diego Padres for first place in the NL West.