A heckler next to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ dugout spent his entire Sunday giving an earful to the visitors, including a nonstop barrage of digs and chirps at Shohei Ohtani for his hitless performance in a portentous weekend series against the San Diego Padres.
But when Ohtani crushed his 45th homer and delivered the knockout blow in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 8-2 victory, the normally decorous three-time MVP detoured on his way back to the dugout to slap hands – and get the last word – with the chagrined Padres fan.
The Dodgers enjoyed the scene, along with just about everything else that transpired in the final four innings of a win that evened the NL West race yet again with 31 games left.
“It was very out of character from Shohei, [but the heckler] was wearing him out the whole game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So it was good to see Shohei initiate a high-five from him. That was great. That was fun. It was good to see Shohei show his personality.”
Ohtani didn’t speak to reporters after the game, but he didn’t need the heckler to tell him that he was 0-for-10 with two walks in the series before his 409ft homer off Yuki Matsui.
His fellow Dodgers had already delivered by then, with rookie Dalton Rushing‘s tiebreaking three-run shot in the seventh inning sandwiched between clutch homers in back-to-back innings by Freddie Freeman.
“He was just kind of talking to Shohei the whole game, so I’m glad Shohei was able to give him a little something else to cheer about,” Freeman said with a grin.
Freeman and the rest of the Dodgers heard plenty of yapping from the stands during the weekend in the latest chapter of what may currently be the liveliest rivalry in the sport. The noise intensified as Los Angeles lost the first two games while managing just five combined hits – but the defending World Series champs still managed to head home smiling and even with the Padres at 74-57.
When asked if the rivalry is the best in baseball, Rushing replied: “I think so. I think it’s pretty safe to say. You see the atmosphere we play in, whether it’s here or in LA. I think it’s pretty special. There’s something to it. There’s a lot of superstars on the field, and it’s fun to play in these games.”
The Dodgers have won 11 of the past 12 NL West titles, while the Padres haven’t won the division since 2006. San Diego are closing in on their fourth playoff berth in six seasons during the longest run of sustained success in team history.
Though the rivals won’t meet again in the regular season, both teams acknowledge they’ll be watching what the other does down the stretch.
“We’re going to treat the next however many games until the regular season is over like we’re neck-and-neck with them,” Rushing said. “Whether we’re tied in the division or we’re eight games out, we’re going to treat it like it’s the same, and I think it’s a good thing. You hold a competitive edge finishing out the regular season, and that’s what you kind of carry into the postseason.”
