Major League Baseball's top star Shohei Ohtani (31, Los Angeles Dodgers) screamed after being hit by a pitch that was suspected to be intentional. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was certain it was an intentional pitch, was also very upset.
On the 18th (Korean time), Ohtani was hit by a 93.8 mph (151.0 km/h) four-seam fastball on the second pitch from opposing starter Randy Vasquez in the bottom of the third with one out and no runners on base. The ball struck his right thigh, heading toward his knee, which could have caused a serious injury. The moment he was hit, Ohtani let out a gasp and managed to walk to first base while suppressing the pain.
The atmosphere at the stadium was strange. It was a situation where an intentional pitch might be suspected. The day before (17th), during the fourth inning, Dodgers' Andy Pacheco expressed displeasure after being hit by a pitch from San Diego pitcher Dylan Cease, which set off the chain of events. Then, on the 18th in the third inning, San Diego's Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch from Dodgers' Lou Trevino, followed by Ohtani being hit, which was presumed to be retaliatory.
The umpires, sensing the atmosphere, gathered to discuss and issued warnings to both team dugouts. At that point, Roberts, who was in the third base dugout, had a baffled expression on his face. He seemed to be unable to understand why a warning was given to the Dodgers after Ohtani was hit. When Roberts came onto the field to protest, third base umpire Trip Gibson ordered his ejection. Furious, Roberts vigorously protested towards Gibson while pointing.
According to 'SportsNet LA', in a post-game interview, Roberts said, "I couldn't understand why both teams were given warnings. I wanted to know the umpires' criteria for judgment. I just wanted to hear an explanation," adding, "I approached calmly, but I ended up being ejected. That didn't make sense either. The opposing manager (Mike Schulte) spoke with the umpires and continued the conversation; I don't understand why I was ejected, and he was not. There was no consistency at all."
Moreover, manager Roberts was convinced that Ohtani's hit was an intentional pitch. He said, "When Pacheco was hit last night, he was overreacting. Today, when we hit Tatis, it was coincidental. Given the circumstances with the key hitters afterwards, it was a situation where we shouldn't have let a runner on base." He continued, "After that, Ohtani was hit. There were no runners on base, and Vasquez was throwing deep from the first pitch and eventually hit him. It's hard for a right-handed pitcher to make such a bad pitch."
However, San Diego denied any intention. According to 'MLB.com', Vasquez explained, "I was just trying to attack Ohtani inside. It was not intentional at all." Schulte, the San Diego manager, also stated, "Things like this happen often in baseball. Vasquez tried to pitch inside but slipped out of his hand," adding, "I understand that the umpires gave warnings at that point. I have no complaints."
The day before, both teams had similar discussions. Pacheco, who was hit by Cease's pitch, suspected, "I think it was intentional. When I was on second base, I may have communicated a sign to the batter." In response, San Diego star player Manny Machado dismissed Pacheco, saying, "If we wanted to hit someone, the Dodgers have plenty of superstars we could hit."
As the tension escalated between the two teams exchanging hit-by-pitches, the Dodgers won both games on the 17th and 18th. Notably, in the game on the 18th, after manager Roberts was ejected, the team exploded for five runs in the sixth inning and won 8-6. Pacheco had a breakout game with 4 hits and 3 RBIs, including back-to-back home runs in the 14th and 15th of the season.
Manager Roberts said, "The players did really well. The pitchers threw well, and Will Smith and Pacheco made significant contributions. There were good plays in defense as well," adding, "Watching the game from the manager's office after being ejected wasn't good, but it was an interesting game. Pitching coach Mark Prior and bench coach Denny Lehman did a good job managing. It was a huge victory," expressing gratitude to the team for leading the victory in his absence.
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