The stage was set for Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani to be the hero of Saturday’s contest against the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead, he became the butt of several jokes.
Ohtani made the final out in the Dodgers’ 6-5 extra innings loss to the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th, Ohtani popped out to shallow left center.
Ohtani pops out to end the game pic.twitter.com/YVmgqDNeI6
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 31, 2024
Several fans on X made fun of Ohtani in predictable fashion after he failed to come through in the clutch.
Amid the ongoing betting scandal centered on the Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, more than a handful of fans joked that the Dodgers star had bet money on the Cardinals to win Saturday’s game.
Ohtani when Cardinals ML cashed pic.twitter.com/r9CGvwO4jm
— ✈️ (@ClubAntt) March 31, 2024
Ohtani had cardinals ML lemme find out
— B Dunk (@BDunk975) March 31, 2024
https://twitter.com/McDuffie2Heaven/status/1774298916340551725
Ohtani must of had cardinals ML only logical explanation
— Loyola is idek? (@Swan_ASF) March 31, 2024
Ohtani previously issued a statement on Mizuhara’s betting fiasco. But Ohtani’s words likely won’t stop unruly fans from clowning him when they get the chance.
Ohtani has had a relatively quiet start to his Dodgers career. In five games this season, Ohtani has slashed .273/.320/.318 and has yet to hit a home run.
The Dodgers DH has recorded just one extra-base hit thus far — and even that trip around the bases didn’t end well for Ohtani.
