- Ohtani remained relatively quiet during his first eight games with the Dodgers.
- But he finally broke his duck Wednesday after hitting a 430-foot home run.
- DailyMail.com provides the latest international sports news.
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Shohei Ohtani is finally out for the Los Angeles Dodgers after hitting his first home run in their 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Playing his ninth game for his new team, Ohtani took a 93.2 mph sinker off left-hander Taylor Rogers on the top outside of the strike zone toward the right-center field pavilion.
The ball left his bat at 105.6 mph and landed 430 feet from home plate, where it was picked up by a fan.
The fan who caught him was later seen being escorted from the stands, and it is likely that Los Angeles officials negotiated with her to recover Ohtani’s first home run for the Dodgers.
While celebrating his 430-foot hit, teammate Teoscar Hernandez sprinkled Ohtani with sunflower seeds.
Shohei Ohtani is finally out for the Los Angeles Dodgers after hitting his first home run
Playing his ninth game for his new team, Ohtani took a 93.2 mph sinker off left-hander Taylor Rogers on the top outside of the strike zone toward the right-center field pavilion.
The home run came in the 41st plate appearance for the two-time MVP, who left the Los Angeles Angels after last season as a free agent and agreed to a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers.
Ohtani’s home run, the 172nd of his major league career, put the Dodgers ahead 5-3. The two-way star is limited to hitting this year following elbow surgery in September.
He was relatively quiet through his first 36 at-bats of the season, but Ohtani is now up and running for his new team.
The 29-year-old’s short tenure with the Dodgers has already been difficult after his former performer Ippei Mizuhara was fired by the team for allegedly stealing $4.5 million from his client.
After his lawyers claimed their client was the victim of a “massive robbery” by Mizuhara, accused of stealing money to pay off gambling debts, Ohtani held a news conference to answer questions about the investigation, insisting he never had bet on baseball or knowingly paid a betting house.
“Until a couple of days ago, I didn’t know this was happening,” he said. “In conclusion, Ippei has been stealing money from my account and telling lies.”