August 25 (August 26, Japan time) Dodgers vs. Reds (Los Angeles)
V, also known as V of BTS, took the mound for the ceremonial first pitch. Dodger Stadium was filled with the roaring cheers of fans.
Wearing a uniform with the number 7, representing the number of members in the group, V took the mound and threw a no-bounce pitch from his left arm to catcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
After pitching, V walked to home base, removed his hat, bowed, and shared a hug with Yamamoto.
V also met Shohei Ohtani before the game. The press flocked to see the collaboration between the world-famous superstars representing Japan and Korea.
Shohei Ohtani's amazing response is highly praised. Opposing fans heckle, calling the unusual high-five "great." A man wearing a Padres uniform was also sitting next to the bench.
Apparently, the opposing fan heckled throughout the game, and after the game, manager Roberts expressed his displeasure, saying, "It was very annoying. It was in my right ear the whole game."
Shohei Ohtani brushed him off, bringing a smile to Roberts' face.
"It was great that Shohei got the high-five out of him!" "It was great! It was fun! I'm glad we got to see Shohei's personality!" (Roberts) Looked back on the moment with a smile, saying, "It was great that Shohei got the high-five out of him!" "It was great! It was fun! It was good to see Shohei's personality!" (Source: Full-Count)
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani played as the leadoff hitter and designated hitter in the away game against the Padres on the 23rd (24th Japan time). The Dodgers suffered their second straight loss, a painful 5-1 defeat, dropping them to second place.
Ohtani was hitless in four at-bats, ending his 19-game streak of consecutive on-base hits.
Unsurprisingly, the mood in the Dodgers' locker room was gloomy after their second straight loss.
After taking a shower, Ohtani silently changed his clothes and left for another room.
The Dodgers lost 1-5 to the Padres on the road on the 23rd (24th Japan time), dropping them from the top spot. Pitcher Shohei Ohtani (31) was hitless for the second consecutive game, silenced the Dodgers' powerful batting lineup.
Freeland came in as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning with the team trailing by three runs, hitting his second solo home run in a row and living up to manager Roberts' expectations.
Manager Roberts praised rookie infielder Alex Freeland (24), who hit the team's only run with a solo home run for the second consecutive game.
American media outlet Clutch Points questioned Roberts's decision, saying, "While manager Roberts certainly deserves praise for using Freeland as a pinch hitter, benching Freeland in Game 2, despite him hitting the team's lone home run in Game 1, is just as unacceptable as benching Alex Cole after the series against the Rockies and bringing in Michael Conforto, who always seemed to struggle."
Okinawa Shogaku wins Summer Koshien for the first time, marking the first time for a team from Okinawa Prefecture in 15 years since Konan High School...defeating Nihon University San-ichi High School to achieve their long-awaited goal.
The 107th National High School Baseball Championship reached its final on the 23rd, with Okinawa Shogaku defeating Nihon University San-ichi High School (West Tokyo) 3-1. This was the first Summer Koshien victory for the school and the first for a team from Okinawa Prefecture in 15 years since Konan High School in 2010.
Okinawa Shogaku won the Senbatsu Invitational Tournament in 1999 and 2008, but this was their first Summer Koshien victory. This was the second Summer Koshien victory for an Okinawa team, following Konan High School, led by pitcher Hiroyuki Shimabukuro, in 2010, when they won back-to-back spring and summer championships.
I love Okinawa and have been there twice, and I would love to go again.
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani played as the leadoff hitter and designated hitter in the away game against the Padres on the 22nd (23rd Japan time), but was hitless in three at-bats and walked one. The team lost 1-2, tying them for first place.
He had a rest day for the game against the Rockies on the 21st (22nd Japan time), the day after his pitching appearance, and watched from the bench. He went into the game against the second-place Padres in a fresh state. He was relieved to hear that the bruise on his right thigh did not cause any serious injuries.
In his first at-bat in the first inning against Darvish, he hit a slider on the sixth pitch and grounded out to first base.
In his second at-bat in the third inning, he hit a cut ball on the first pitch, but it was a right-handed hit right in front of right fielder Tatis Jr.
In his third at-bat in the sixth inning with one out, he reached base on a walk.
In his fourth at-bat in the ninth inning, he hit a huge fly ball to center field, even though a single would have tied the game. Ohtani seemed confident, but it just wouldn't last and center fielder Johnson caught it, sending Padres fans into a frenzy.
Starting pitcher Snell pitched well, allowing only two runs in seven innings, but the team narrowly lost the game, tying them for the lead with the Padres.
Professional Baseball Central League, Yakult vs. Hanshin (22nd, Jingu Stadium)
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Munetaka Murakami hit his ninth solo home run, giving Yakult the lead.
With both teams scoreless in the bottom of the fourth inning, with Takahashi Haruto and Takanashi Hirotoshi pitching, Munetaka Murakami, who had hit a double in his first at-bat, came to bat. Murakami was confident he would hit the first pitch from Hanshin's starting pitcher, a two-seam fastball. The ball flew straight into the left-center field stands for a solo home run.
This was Murakami's ninth home run in his 23rd game. He continues to perform at an astonishingly fast pace, tying Osuna for the team lead in home runs.
On the 20th (21st Japan time), Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani played as leadoff hitter, pitcher, and designated hitter in the away game against the Rockies in Denver. Taking the mound for the 10th time this season, he threw 66 pitches in four innings, allowing nine hits, three strikeouts, and five runs before leaving the game. He was replaced by a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. His batting stats were 1-for-2 with one hit and one walk.
In his first at-bat in the first inning, he immediately hit the first pitch, sending it down the right field line for a double. In his second at-bat in the third inning with one out and a runner on first, he struck out a fly ball to center field, and in his third at-bat in the fifth inning, he walked.
A pitfall awaited in the fourth inning. Arcia's hard hit struck Ohtani directly in the right leg, causing a commotion in the stadium. Ohtani was left limping, and trainers rushed to the scene.
Nevertheless, Ohtani remained unsubstituted, continuing to pitch after checking his condition through pitching practice. However, after getting one out, he allowed a timely single to Freeman to right field, giving up his fifth run. He dropped to his knees and slumped on the mound. He didn't take the mound for the fifth inning, and once again was unable to complete the fifth inning before being taken out.
His nine hits allowed tied his career-worst total, matching his previous record against the Astros on September 10, 2021 (September 11, 2021). His fastest pitch of the day was 99.1 mph (approximately 159.5 km/h).
A pinch hitter was called in in the eighth inning, and Ohtani left the game. It was a disappointing end to his 1,000th major league game.
Yakult's Munetaka Murakami hit a leadoff home run off Giants pitcher Shunya Morita, who was pitching well with a 0.00 ERA.
Murakami returned to the first team on July 29th against DeNA. Since then, he has been producing home runs at an astonishing rate, hitting seven home runs in 20 games.
He started again today as the fourth batter and third baseman, and in the second inning, he took a full swing at a high inside two-seam fastball thrown by Morita, who had a 0.00 ERA in his first four games. The ball he pulled soared high into the air, landing in the middle of the stands just inside the right-field pole. This powerful arc gave Murakami the leadoff run, blowing away the stress of the previous day's 15-run defeat.
This marks Murakami's eighth home run of the season. In just his 21st game, he's already tied with Osuna for the team lead in home runs.
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani started as the leadoff hitter and designated hitter against the Rockies on the road on the 19th (20th Japan time). In his second at-bat, he hit his 44th solo home run, his first in six games, tying Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber.
The hit, a bullet-shaped liner at an impossible 19-degree angle, had local broadcasters in shock, calling it "Ohtani's rifle shot to right field."
It was a hit that accelerated the momentum of the Dodgers' batting lineup. With a three-run lead in the second inning, he connected with a 145 km/h pitch from left-hander Gomber, and the ball quickly cleared the outfield fence.
The ball was a bullet-shaped liner at 115.9 mph (approximately 186.5 km/h), traveling 413 feet (approximately 125.9 meters) at a 19-degree angle.
Ohtani had shown unusual anger in the dugout the day before, but it was good to see his smile return.
