2024-07-17 19:40:01
ARLINGTON — For all that Shohei Ohtani has accomplished since coming to the Major Leagues, he had never hit a home run in the All-Star Game.
Ohtani launched a three-run homer against Tanner Houck of the Red Sox, snapping a scoreless tie in the third inning of the National League’s 5-3 loss at Globe Life Field. It was Ohtani’s first home run in his four All-Star Game appearances, making him the only player in MLB history to earn a win on the mound (Colorado, 2021) and hit a home run in his All-Star Game career.
“In general, I haven’t really hit well during the All-Star Game,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “So I’m just relieved that I put a good ball in play.”
Ohtani had gone 1-for-4 with two walks and no RBIs in his first three All-Star Games. Tuesday’s performance now gives him a .333/.556/.833 slash line in nine career All-Star plate appearances.
Ohtani’s home run was also the first by a Dodgers hitter in an All-Star Game since Mike Piazza took Cleveland’s Charles Nagy deep at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia back in 1996. Ohtani is the 10th Dodgers player to hit a home run in the All-Star Game, while he joined Ichiro Suzuki (San Francisco, 2007) as the only Japanese-born players to accomplish the feat.
Ohtani had already made history by becoming the first player to start four straight Midsummer Classics as a designated hitter. He drew a walk against AL starter Corbin Burnes in his first trip to the plate, but his second plate appearance proved to be far more impactful.
A leadoff single by Jurickson Profar and a base hit by Ketel Marte put two runners on base for the NL, giving Houck little wiggle room against Ohtani.
“Good hitter having a great year,” Houck said. “There’s not many holes in that swing; all you can do is just make your pitch and be as fine as you can.”
The two-time AL MVP took two balls to start the at-bat, then jumped on an 88.7 mph splitter, drilling it deep to right-center field. The ball settled in the stands a Statcast-projected 400 feet later, clocked at 103.7 mph off the bat.
“It was sick,” Bryce Harper said. “[Houck] left a split-finger over the middle and [Ohtani] did his job.”
Houck, a first-time All-Star, wasn’t second-guessing anything about his approach against Ohtani, despite the end result.
“Maybe a little bit down more or just away,” Houck said of the home run pitch. “I think all three of the hits I gave up were pretty well-executed, but when you’re playing the best, there’s never an easy out. When you’re facing the top one or two guys from every lineup, you’ve got to be a little bit more fine.”
Serving up a home run to Ohtani didn’t do anything to ruin Houck’s first All-Star experience. In fact, the right-hander said he plans on being back at the All-Star Game next season in Atlanta.
“This is something that you work towards in the first half every year; the best of the best come out and play in one game, winner take all,” Houck said. “It’s a blast. I’ve had the best 48 hours of my life.”
Ohtani, who struck out against Oakland’s Mason Miller in the fifth to finish his night 1-for-2 with a walk and three RBIs, said he tried to approach his All-Star at-bats just as he does during a regular-season game. But for his NL teammates, Tuesday was the rare opportunity to share a dugout with the superstar, getting a look at the way he works and goes about his business.
“I tried to enjoy the three hours I had on a team with him because that’s probably only going to happen once a year,” said Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, who started for the NL. “I don’t know of any hitters I’ve faced that’s better than him in my career, so to be able to share a dugout with him was surreal.”
Padres rookie Jackson Merrill sees plenty of Ohtani when San Diego plays its division rival, so the 21-year-old relished the chance to see Ohtani up close this week.
“He’s probably the greatest player ever, in my opinion; nobody can do it from both sides like he can,” Merrill said. “It was definitely cool being in the same dugout and on the same team. I didn’t talk to him too much, but that’s OK; I’ll stay as his enemy for now.”
