After final 12 months’s offseason drama, Shohei Ohtani discovered himself on the receiving finish of some severe warmth from Toronto Blue Jays followers.
Shohei Ohtani’s first Dodgers dwelling run comes with controversy: ‘Took benefit of her’
Blue Jays followers nonetheless bitter about Ohtani ordeal
The Japanese sensation, now donning the colours of the Los Angeles Dodgers, confronted a refrain of boos as he stepped as much as the plate at Rogers Centre.
The explanation? A lingering bitterness over Ohtani’s sudden pivot away from Toronto throughout free company.
Flashback to December ninth, when the MLB rumor mill was ablaze with hypothesis that Ohtani was sure for the Blue Jays.
Followers eagerly anticipated his arrival, solely to have their hopes dashed when Ohtani in the end inked a take care of the Dodgers.
The fallout from this abrupt twist left Blue Jays devoted feeling betrayed, and their response was palpable as Ohtani confronted off towards their staff.
However Ohtani, ever the consummate skilled, remained unfazed.
With a powerful crack of the bat, he silenced the boos with a solo homer off Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt, sending the Dodgers forward 1-0.
The cheers from Dodgers supporters mingled with the jeers from Blue Jays followers, creating an electrical ambiance at Rogers Centre.
After the sport, Ohtani supplied his perspective on the reception, stating, “Not stunned. I actually do really feel that the followers listed below are passionate, and when they’re, that is the sort of reception that they are going to most likely do.”
Regardless of the hostility, Ohtani maintained his respect for the fervour of each Blue Jays and Dodgers followers alike.
Ohtani & Dodgers proceed to dominate opponents
Whereas some Dodgers gamers expressed shock on the depth of the booing, they did not let it dampen their spirits.
In reality, they turned the tables on Ohtani by playfully booing him themselves when he returned to the dugout after his homer.
However past the theatrics, Ohtani’s efficiency spoke volumes.
His seventh homer of the season not solely tied him with Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts for probably the most by a Japanese-born participant in franchise historical past but additionally served as a reminder of the expertise Toronto missed out on.
The Dodgers ended up with one other showstopping win scoring 12 runs of their first sport of the collection towards Toronto whereas limiting the house staff to solely 5 hits and a couple of runs.
Because the mud settles on this contentious matchup, one factor is evident: Ohtani’s influence extends far past the diamond.
Whereas the injuries of free company should still be recent for Blue Jays followers, Ohtani’s show of talent and sportsmanship serves as a testomony to his enduring legacy on the earth of baseball.
