Whenever Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani went into the batter’s box in the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday, the crowd grew silent.
Fans were probably eager to see whether the Japanese superstar would deliver. It’s safe to say he gave them what they wanted.
Trailing the Chicago Cubs 1-0 at the top of the fifth inning, Ohtani helped spark a rally with a single to right field that sent Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages from first to third.
The Dodgers would then score three runs, one of which was partly due to a throwing error by Cubs second baseman Jon Berti. Dodgers center fielder Tommy Edman and catcher Will Smith had RBI singles.
The Dodgers held on to their lead, beating the Cubs 4-1. Ohtani finished 2-of-5 at the plate. He doubled to right field at the top of the ninth inning and scored on an RBI single from left fielder Teoscar Hernandez.
According to Sarah Lang of MLB.com, Ohtani became the first Japanese-born player to score two or more runs in an MLB regular-season game at the Tokyo Dome.
In his postgame interview with MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds, Ohtani admitted he was nervous playing in front of his home country and knew fans expected him to finish with some hits.
While he noticed the silence whenever he stepped to the plate, Ohtani indicated it didn’t faze him.
“I did notice the silence,” Ohtani said. “Although, you know, it didn’t really bother me when I was at the plate. But I did recognize it and had to adjust it.”
The Dodgers (1-0) will face the Cubs (0-1) in Game 2 of the Tokyo Series on Wednesday on FS1 at 6:10 AM E.T. If Ohtani has another excellent performance, perhaps fans from his home country will give him a standing ovation.
