After getting a couple of days off from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ everyday lineup, Shohei Ohtani might have had some pent-up energy to burn off.
If so, the two-way superstar likely got that out of his system with a sprint around the bases for a “Little League home run” in Saturday’s 15-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
Facing Alek Manoah in the eighth inning, Ohtani pulled a changeup into the right-field corner at Angel Stadium. The ball bounced off the warning track on its way into the stands.
However, the ball then rebounded from the protective netting set up along the first-base line. Angels right fielder Jo Adell stopped pursuing the ball, believing the hit was a ground-rule double. Yet the umpires made no such ruling and the play was still live.
Ohtani ran to third base for a triple, but Adell’s relay throw skipped past second baseman Oswald Peraza and rolled into the infield. That allowed Ohtani to score on a “Little League home run.” Or, as it was officially scored, a triple and error on Adell. Three runs scored on the play, giving the Dodgers a 9-2 lead.
Play 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world's biggest soccer tournament
The play was reviewed and Angels manager Kurt Suzuki argued that fan interference should have left Ohtani with a double. However, the Angel Stadium ground rules — newly established with the netting installed for this season — said the ball rightly stayed in play and had to be fielded.
“A ball that strikes the front of the netting, even if it hits the camera, is live and in play unless it becomes lodged or is otherwise deemed unplayable (i.e. goes completely through the netting),” the ground rules state.
"That was a tough one, obviously," Angels manager Kurt Suzuki told reporters afterward. "Before the nets were down the line, that ball bounces into the stands and it's two bases. But we just challenged, we thought maybe [it] might have hit a fan and it didn't, obviously. So, you know, unfortunate."
Following Ohtani’s dash around the base, Mookie Betts hit his fourth home run of the season — a real one that went over the left-field wall into the stands — to put the Dodgers up 10-2. In the ninth inning, Ohtani added a three-run double off Manoah, who allowed eight earned runs, six hits and three walks in just 1 1/3 innings.
Ohtani finished with five RBI, batting 2-for-4 with two walks. His slump, during which he’s slashed .159/.275/.273 so far through May, might be over. In his past three games, Ohtani has hit 5-for-12 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and six RBI.
“We were hoping to get a reset with a couple days off, and I think that’s what happened,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “I think he’s just feeling better and quicker with the bat.”
The Dodgers have won four consecutive games since losing four in a row, moving them into first place in the NL West by a half-game over the San Diego Padres.
