It has finally happened. After 36 at bats without a big fly, Shohei Ohtani got his first home run in Los Angeles Dodgers uniform in his side 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Since his massive $700 million deal was announced, many had been wondering how long will it take for him to settle in with his new team. Though he did hit a home run in the Spring training, fans were eager to see him replicate that in an official game.
The moment which many had been waiting for, came in the seventh inning with the Dodgers leading 4-3. The 2023 American League MVP worked up a 3-1 count against Taylor Rogers before clobbering his first bomb of the season.
After the game, Shohei Ohtani claimed he was “very relieved” with his first home run and admitted his swing had not been great.
Honestly, very relieved that I was able to hit my first homer. It’s been awhile, and honestly my swing hasn’t been great. So, overall very relieved. Shohei Ohtani said as per Juan Toribio of MLB.com.
A reason for Ohtani’s slow start to the season could be due to the pressure from the Ippei Mizuhara situation. During the Seoul Series, Mizuhara, who worked as the interpreter of Ohtani, was fired from his position on allegations of “massive theft” and gambling.
Shohei Ohtani reveals advice given by coach Dave Roberts following slow start
While the season has just started, the standards set by Shohei Ohtani led to many getting concerned about his form and slow start. His home run now has elevated the mood of everyone involved in the LA Dodgers clubhouse. The two-way star would later reveal the piece of advice given by his coach Dave Roberts.
Ohtani through his interpreter Will Ireton claimed that he had a meeting with Roberts earlier in the day who told him not to try too much and just be himself.
I actually talked to doc this morning and he told me to just be yourself and don’t try to do too much so that really helped me a lot. Shohei Ohtani said through his interpreter Will Ireton via SportsNet LA.
This home run of Ohtani proved to be a huge difference in the end as the Giants did manage to pull one run back to make it a 5-4 game. This victory saw the NL West champions once again sweep their rivals and completed a seven-game homestand with a 6-1 record.
The Dodgers will now embark on a six-game road trip while facing the Chicago Cubs and the Minnesota Twins before returning to Southern California to face their other rivals, the San Diego Padres. As for the Giants, they are 2-5 for the season and would be hoping for a positive performance in their home opener on Friday.
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