Shohei Ohtani continues to show that in the current Major League Baseball season he can be one of the strongest candidates to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award and in the recent game of the Los Angeles Dodgers where they obtained a 4-0 shutout victory over the Cleveland Guardians, the Japanese was once again in star form and was the protagonist of the game.
The first pitch at Dodger Stadium was thrown out in 103-degree weather, marking the Dodgers’ hottest start time of the season.
Ohtani wants to be the best player to ever play baseball
“I think he wants to be the best player to ever play the game, and one way to do that is to do things that nobody has ever done, which he’s already done,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But he also likes round numbers.”
Ohtani managed to hit another big shot, a rather impressive one at that, traveling a Statcast-projected distance of 450 feet with an exit velocity of 116.7 miles per hour. The two-time American League MVP unanimously was able to send the ball just wide and it was confirmed by a lengthy review by the crew chief.
One step away from making history
There are only 19 games left in the Major League Baseball regular season, and it is clear that Ohtani must hit at least 4 more home runs and steal 4 more bases to become the first player in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to reach the 50-50 mark. The Japanese hitter is no longer the only player to reach 46 home runs and the same number of stolen bases in a single season.
“I’m trying to be less conscious of that,” Ohtani was quoted as saying by interpreter Will Ireton. “I am just more concentrated on having a good experience at the plate, and whenever possible during the game … that is what I am trying to do and what I am focusing on.”
Flaherty is also on a big plan
While Ohtani was setting off the fireworks, it was right-hander Jack Flaherty who did the necessary work from the mound to make sure the Dodgers won in the best possible way. With the Dodgers currently running a short-handed rotation, it’s been Flaherty who has been providing some much-needed stability since he arrived at the Los Angeles organization from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline.
“He hits the zone with all his pitches,” said Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, who added to the Los Angeles cause with a solo homer in the eighth inning. “He has a good idea of what he wants to do there. He doesn’t let anything deviate from his game plan. He knows what he wants to do with every hitter, and you can tell he’s confident when he’s getting his pitches. It is a lot of fun to play behind him.”
Flaherty’s start on Sunday was arguably his best game in Dodger colors , pitching 7 1/3 scoreless innings. He had no trouble against the Guardians, allowing just three hits.
“It was huge,” Flaherty said of getting to the eighth inning of the game. “Especially when you have the bullpen day yesterday, which did a great job of starting the game and guys scoring runs. The way the offense came out and swung, the way guys came out and pitched, to be able to go the distance after a bullpen game was huge. Yeah, it’s a nice feeling.”
Clear goals for this season
When Flaherty was relieved, he received a standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd. The Dodgers are clearly on a mission to seek their 11th National League West title in 12 seasons and in the postseason.
“He’s added stability, and consistency, and today, it was a pitching clinic,” Roberts said. “Obviously, it was actually hot, so for him to be proficient and get us back in the dugout to hit was big. He had control all day with his fastball and the breaking pitches that he had. He worked them front to back. He kept them off balance.”
