The exceptional journey of Shohei Ohtani reached another milestone on Friday, though it wasn’t sufficient to halt a now prolonged seven-game slide.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ standout achieved his inaugural splash hit at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, launching a cutter delivered by All-Star Logan Webb 410 feet into right field at a speed of 106 mph. A kayaker situated in McCovey Cove even jumped out of his kayak in order to grab the ball.
It marked the 107th splash hit in the history of Oracle Park, and the first by a Dodger since Max Muncy accomplished the same in 2021.
These runs represented the beginning of what ultimately evolved into a remarkable game. The Giants countered with seven consecutive runs, featuring a home run by Dominic Smith and RBI triples from Jung Hoo Lee and Willy Adames, securing a significant advantage.
Nonetheless, the Dodgers almost staged a comeback.
Los Angeles narrowed the deficit to a single run through rallies in the sixth and seventh innings, subsequently placing a runner in scoring position during the ninth inning. However, catcher Will Smith grounded into a double play, concluding the game.
With the Dodgers’ current record at 56-39, their NL West advantage, which stood at nine games just a week prior, has diminished to four games. The Giants now hold second place, closely followed by the San Diego Padres, trailing by a single game.
The Dodgers’ most recent victory occurred on July 3 against the Chicago White Sox. Since then, they have endured sweeps by both the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers, and have two remaining games to secure a positive note before the All-Star break.
Meanwhile, Ohtani is presently in contention for his fourth career MVP award, leading the NL in home runs as he progressively resumes his role as a pitcher. He is slated to make his fifth start of the season on Saturday, with his sixth career All-Star Game appearance scheduled for Tuesday.
