Shohei Ohtani did not disappoint in the first playoff game of his MLB career.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star Ohtani sent Dodger Stadium into a frenzy on Saturday with a game-tying homer during the second inning of NLDS Game 1 against the San Diego Padres. With runners on first and second and two outs as the Dodgers trailed 3-0, Ohtani made Padres starter Dylan Cease pay for a high heater on a 2-1 count. Ohtani rocketed the ball into the right field seats to tie the game at 3-3.
The NL MVP frontrunner Ohtani would celebrate what was his first MLB playoff hit with a bat flip for the ages. Take a look at the video of Ohtani homering and then twirling his lumber into the next dimension.
WELCOME TO THE POSTSEASON, SHOHEI OHTANI. pic.twitter.com/ouDvzwwj6O
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 6, 2024
Here is another angle of the fantastic bat flip.
Shohei wanted nothing to do with his bat after this swing pic.twitter.com/b22P6kGbTS
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 6, 2024
Ohtani never made the playoffs in his seven seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. But in his postseason debut with the Dodgers on Saturday, he wasted no time making his presence felt.
The 30-year-old Ohtani did have a few good bat flips while he was an Angel. But that one just hit totally different off a game-tying home run in Ohtani’s playoff debut.
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