MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Among his many athletic attributes, Shohei Ohtani might be the fastest runner on the Dodgers this season.
Paired with the fact that he won’t be expending energy as a pitcher, the expectation is Ohtani will run the bases more aggressively this season. Third base coach Dino Ebel took that to heart Wednesday afternoon.
On first with two outs in the seventh inning against the Minnesota Twins, Ohtani represented the tying run when Freddie Freeman lashed a double into the right field corner. Ebel waved Ohtani home and the long-striding DH executed a pop-up slide at the plate, spreading his arms wide in a safe sign.
Home-plate umpire Marvin Hudson agreed – but replay review showed Twins catcher Christian Vazquez’s diving tag after an excellent relay throw by shortstop Carlos Correa caught Ohtani’s foot just before it reached home plate. The call was overturned and the Dodgers went on to lose 3-2 to the Twins, ending their first stateside road trip of the season having split the six games.
The trip started with Bobby Miller getting roughed up on his birthday at Wrigley Field for five runs in just 1 ⅔ innings. It ended with a laborious four-inning effort from Miller at Target Field.
Miller gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, Edouard Julien, and had baserunners in each of those four innings, giving up five hits and walking three. A pair of double plays helped him avoid more damage than the two runs he allowed.
The Dodgers matched those two runs with an RBI double by Teoscar Hernandez in the first and a solo home run by Max Muncy in the fourth.
But Alex Vesia gave up a second home run to Julien on his second pitch in the fifth and the Twins made the one-run lead stand up over the final four innings – with the help of replay.
In seven outings this season, Vesia has faced 30 batters. Ten of them have reached base – six walks, one hit batter and three hits (including home runs in each of the past two games).
Related Articles
Dominant Tyler Glasnow strikes out 14 as Dodgers beat Twins
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani says throwing program is ‘going according to plan’
Ex-Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías charged in domestic violence case
Shohei Ohtani, James Outman homer to power Dodgers past Twins
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani heating up despite lingering distractions off the field
