Latest news with #Ohtani
USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani out-slug Yankees, Aaron Judge in potential World Series rematch
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani out-slug Yankees, Aaron Judge in potential World Series rematch Show Caption Hide Caption Knicks championship or Yankees WS? We asked fans in the Bronx New York sports fans decide whether they would rather see the Knicks win a championship or the Yankees win a World Series. Sports Seriously LOS ANGELES − The calendar says it's May, but Friday night felt a whole lot like October at Dodger Stadium. It was a heavyweight prize fight. Power vs. power. Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani. The New York Yankees vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers. These two juggernauts went toe-to-toe for nine innings, and in the end, it was Ohtani and the Dodgers thrusting their arms into the air with a wild 8-5 victory in front of 53,276 screaming fans. If this was a preview to this year's World Series, an encore after their 2024 World Series, let's flip the calendar to October now. The game, with suites selling as high as $15,000, the clubhouses jammed with more than 100 reporters and Hollywood stars in attendance, was a May classic. It began with a massive 446-foot Judge home run into the center-field pavilion in the top of the first inning. Ohtani answered with a 417-foot home run in the bottom of the first. 'I thought he was copying me,'' Judge said. 'He's impressive. He's one of the best players in the game for a reason.'' It was the first time in baseball history, including the postseason, that two reigning MVP winners homered in the same inning of a game. MLB payrolls 2025: Full list of every baseball team from highest to lowest 'If you're a baseball fan it doesn't get much better than that, right?'' Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. 'It was a great baseball atmosphere. It was good to be part of it.'' There were five home runs hit in the first three innings, including four by the Yankees, but by the end of the night, it was Ohtani and the Dodgers beating Yankees ace Max Fried (season-high six earned runs) and their bullpen. Fried, who entered the game with a 7-0 record and 1.29 ERA, was handed a 5-2 lead only for the Dodgers to score four runs in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh. It was reminiscent of the deciding Game 5 of the World Series last year when the Yankees coughed up a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning. 'Both teams started on a really good note,'' Ohtani said, 'and I really thought it was important to score in that situation knowing that momentum is really important in the game today.'' Ohtani stole the show hitting his 21st and 22nd home runs of the season, giving him 15 homers in May, tying a franchise record last accomplished in 1985. He also set a team record by hitting 22 homers in the Dodgers' first 57 games and is now on pace to hit 63 home runs and score 173 runs. 'Shohei would probably say it's just like any other game,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, 'but when you see the other reigning MVP on the other side and going out there and performing, that brings out even more of a competitor in Shohei.'' Judge was the best supporting actor in this drama by hitting his American League-leading 19th homer, 15th double, and is now hitting a major-league leading .392 with a 1.236 OPS. 'It's fun, this is Yankee baseball,'' Judge said, 'and especially going against the Dodgers. They're having a great start to the season. It was just a fun atmosphere out there.'' It was just like the glory days when these two teams met 11 times in the World Series over a 40-year span, and again last season. And, for a night in May with more than 100 regular-season games still to be played, it certainly lived up to its hype. 'You certainly marvel at some of the players on the field tonight,'' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. 'I mean, there's a number of MVPs, All-Stars, and just great, great players. Judge had a great game with the homer and the double and an outstanding play in the game. So, some of the stars really showed up tonight.'' Said Judge: 'This is why I signed here, to play in big games, play in big moments, play for the best team.'' Well, the best team on this night was the same team that was spraying champagne on each other in October. The Dodgers didn't taunt the Yankees as they did over the winter, but the Dodgers public address announcer reminded everyone an hour before the game that the Dodgers are the defending World Series champions, and showed videotape highlights of Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam in Game 1. 'We love superstars, and to start the game off with Judge hitting a homer and Shohei answering in the bottom half,'' Roberts said, 'was pretty exciting for everyone. But it was a huge game for us to win. I think the intensity of the game, you can see the way that Aaron managed with urgency. I managed with urgency. It was a game that we both wanted.'' And, at the end of the night, it was the Dodgers coming out on top once again. Thanks to you-know-who. 'Every time he comes to the plate,'' Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin said of Ohtani, 'we're expecting something awesome to happen And he doesn't let us down a lot of times. So it's really cool to have someone like that on our team.'' The second round of the three-round fight is Saturday [7:15 p.m. ET, FOX], and while it may be the Yankees against the Dodgers, the baseball world will be focused on the latest bout between Judge and Ohtani, the two greatest players in the game. 'I try not to think about it,'' Judge said. 'I got a job to do on the field. I try not to get too hyped into that. That's for you guys to do.'' Stay tuned. The sequel awaits. Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani out-slug Yankees, Aaron Judge in a potential preview to October
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani out-slug Yankees, Aaron Judge in a potential preview to October Show Caption Hide Caption Knicks championship or Yankees WS? We asked fans in the Bronx New York sports fans decide whether they would rather see the Knicks win a championship or the Yankees win a World Series. Sports Seriously LOS ANGELES − The calendar says it's May, but Friday night felt a whole lot like October at Dodger Stadium. It was a heavyweight prize fight. Power vs. power. Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani. The New York Yankees vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers. These two juggernauts went toe-to-toe for nine innings, and in the end, it was Ohtani and the Dodgers thrusting their arms into the air with a wild 8-5 victory in front of 53,276 screaming fans. If this was a preview to this year's World Series, an encore after their 2024 World Series, let's flip the calendar to October now. The game, with suites selling as high as $15,000, the clubhouses jammed with more than 100 reporters and Hollywood stars in attendance, was a May classic. It began with a massive 446-foot Judge home run into the center-field pavilion in the top of the first inning. Ohtani answered with a 417-foot home run in the bottom of the first. 'I thought he was copying me,'' Judge said. 'He's impressive. He's one of the best players in the game for a reason.'' It was the first time in baseball history, including the postseason, that two reigning MVP winners homered in the same inning of a game. MLB payrolls 2025: Full list of every baseball team from highest to lowest 'If you're a baseball fan it doesn't get much better than that, right?'' Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. 'It was a great baseball atmosphere. It was good to be part of it.'' There were five home runs hit in the first three innings, including four by the Yankees, but by the end of the night, it was Ohtani and the Dodgers beating Yankees ace Max Fried (season-high six earned runs) and their bullpen. Fried, who entered the game with a 7-0 record and 1.29 ERA, was handed a 5-2 lead only for the Dodgers to score four runs in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh. It was reminiscent of the deciding Game 5 of the World Series last year when the Yankees coughed up a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning. 'Both teams started on a really good note,'' Ohtani said, 'and I really thought it was important to score in that situation knowing that momentum is really important in the game today.'' Ohtani stole the show hitting his 21st and 22nd home runs of the season, giving him 15 homers in May, tying a franchise record last accomplished in 1985. He also set a team record by hitting 22 homers in the Dodgers' first 57 games and is now on pace to hit 63 home runs and score 173 runs. 'Shohei would probably say it's just like any other game,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, 'but when you see the other reigning MVP on the other side and going out there and performing, that brings out even more of a competitor in Shohei.'' Judge was the best supporting actor in this drama by hitting his American League-leading 19th homer, 15th double, and is now hitting a major-league leading .392 with a 1.236 OPS. 'It's fun, this is Yankee baseball,'' Judge said, 'and especially going against the Dodgers. They're having a great start to the season. It was just a fun atmosphere out there.'' It was just like the glory days when these two teams met 11 times in the World Series over a 40-year span, and again last season. And, for a night in May with more than 100 regular-season games still to be played, it certainly lived up to its hype. 'You certainly marvel at some of the players on the field tonight,'' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. 'I mean, there's a number of MVPs, All-Stars, and just great, great players. Judge had a great game with the homer and the double and an outstanding play in the game. So, some of the stars really showed up tonight.'' Said Judge: 'This is why I signed here, to play in big games, play in big moments, play for the best team.'' Well, the best team on this night was the same team that was spraying champagne on each other in October. The Dodgers didn't taunt the Yankees as they did over the winter, but the Dodgers public address announcer reminded everyone an hour before the game that the Dodgers are the defending World Series champions, and showed videotape highlights of Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam in Game 1. 'We love superstars, and to start the game off with Judge hitting a homer and Shohei answering in the bottom half,'' Roberts said, 'was pretty exciting for everyone. But it was a huge game for us to win. I think the intensity of the game, you can see the way that Aaron managed with urgency. I managed with urgency. It was a game that we both wanted.'' And, at the end of the night, it was the Dodgers coming out on top once again. Thanks to you-know-who. 'Every time he comes to the plate,'' Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin said of Ohtani, 'we're expecting something awesome to happen And he doesn't let us down a lot of times. So it's really cool to have someone like that on our team.'' The second round of the three-round fight is Saturday [7:15 p.m. ET, FOX], and while it may be the Yankees against the Dodgers, the baseball world will be focused on the latest bout between Judge and Ohtani, the two greatest players in the game. 'I try not to think about it,'' Judge said. 'I got a job to do on the field. I try not to get too hyped into that. That's for you guys to do.'' Stay tuned. The sequel awaits. Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
‘I have no words for it.' Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani inspires awe and confidence
They don't know what their rotation will look like in October, and they don't know how worn down their bullpen will look like. What the Dodgers know is this: They have Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani will give them a chance in October regardless of what their roster looks like, just as he did on Friday night in an 8-5 victory over the New York Yankees. How can a player who takes four or five at-bats on most nights have such an oversized influence on games? How can a player who bats once only two or three innings bring opponents to their knees? How can a three-time MVP be a better offensive player than he was in his historic 50-homer, 50-steal season last year? 'I have no words for it,' outfielder Michael Conforto said. When Aaron Judge homered in the top of the first, Ohtani answered with a homer of his own in the bottom half of the inning. When the Dodgers were down by three runs, Ohtani led off the sixth inning with another homer, this one making Yankees starter Max Fried strike the Kershaw Pose, back to the plate, hands on knees, head down. The blast one ignited a four-run surge by the Dodgers that produced their first lead of the night. This was on a night in which Mookie Betts was sidelined with a broken toe, Evan Phillips was ruled out for the remainder of the season because of an upcoming elbow reconstruction, and the Dodgers had no choice but to start the unreliable Tony Gonsolin because three pitchers of their opening-day rotation were on the injured list. Playing with a diminished roster, manager Dave Roberts did what he could before the game to downplay the significance of the World Series rematch against the Yankees, but Ohtani recognized the contest for what it was. This was a statement game, and Ohtani made a statement. 'We try to win each and every game, of course, but I think it's a special atmosphere [against the Yankees,]' Ohtani said in Japanese. 'I think it was huge to have taken the [first game] of the series.' The homers were Ohtani's 14th and 15th of May, which tied a single-month franchise record previously shared by only Pedro Guerrero and Duke Snider. The homers were Ohtani's 21st and 22nd of the season, meaning Ohtani is on pace for a career-high 63 bombs. The value of Ohtani's homers extend beyond the numbers, however. They inspire awe. 'You don't want to miss any of his at-bats,' Conforto said. 'You want to be in the dugout. You want to see it in person. That's kind of what it is being his teammate. You want to be there.' They inspire confidence. 'Every time he comes up to the plate, we're expecting something awesome to happen,' Gonsolin said. 'And he doesn't let us down a lot of the time. Really cool to have someone like that on our team.' They inspire a contagious form of courage. 'He would probably say it's like any other game, but I do think when you see the reigning MVP [Judge] on the other side going out there and performing, that brings out even more of a competitor in Shohei,' Roberts said. They inspire victories — the Dodgers are 14-6 when Ohtani homers. 'We always seem to play really well when Shohei's playing well,' first baseman Freddie Freeman said. 'I heard the chants for MVP and he's really well on his way to doing that again.' This is what the Dodgers will need in October, especially in a season in which little has gone according to plan. At this point, they can't count on Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow to both be healthy for the remainder of the year. They can't expect their bullpen to be as spectacular as it was last year. But they can rely on Ohtani to make up for their shortcomings. He will soon be able to affect the game from the mound, as the Dodgers expect him to return to pitching after the All-Star break. Rather than revel in the victory Friday night, Ohtani said in an on-field postgame interview with Apple TV that he was already looking ahead to his next day's assignment. 'Live bullpen is scheduled for tomorrow,' Ohtani said. 'The game is over now and I'd like to get my body in order for the live BP.'
3 hours ago
- Sport
Ohtani outduels Judge with 2 homers and the Dodgers rally to beat the Yankees 8-5
LOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs, including a solo shot leading off a four-run sixth inning when the Dodgers rallied to take the lead, and Los Angeles defeated the New York Yankees 8-5 in their World Series rematch on Friday night. Aaron Judge and Ohtani became the first reigning MVPs to homer in the first inning of a game. Judge's 19th homer of the season traveled 446 feet into dead center off Tony Gonsolin (3-1). Ohtani answered with a 417-foot shot on his first pitch from Max Fried. Austin Wells homered and Trent Grisham added a two-run shot in the second, giving New York a 4-1 lead. Paul Goldschmidt, another former MVP, homered leading off the third, making it 5-2. But just like in Game 5 of last year's World Series, the Yankees blew the lead. Ohtani's homer keyed the offense in the sixth, when the Dodgers batted around. Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith singled before Freddie Freeman's RBI double chased Fried. Andy Pages followed with a game-tying RBI single off Jonathan Loáisiga (0-1). With the bases loaded, Tim Hill walked Michael Conforto on six pitches, forcing in Pages with the go-ahead run to make it 6-5. The Dodgers tacked on two more in the seventh. Will Smith singled, Freeman doubled and both scored on Pages' two-run single off Yerry De Los Santos. Freeman was safe in a close play at the plate after he made a wide turn into the grass coming around third. Alex Vesia pitched the ninth to earn his second save. The teams were meeting for the first time since the Dodgers beat the Yankees to win their eighth world championship. Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott came on with runners at the corners in the eighth and retired pinch-hitter DJ LeMahieu on a flyout to center for the third out. Scott has been rocky lately with blown saves. Gonsolin gave up four homers, one shy of his team record set on Aug. 18, 2023, against Florida. Yankees RHP Will Warren (3-2, 4.09 ERA) starts Saturday against Dodgers RHP Landon Knack (2-2, 5.22). ___
The Mainichi
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Baseball: Ohtani homers twice, Dodgers win series opener vs. Yankees
LOS ANGELES (Kyodo) -- Shohei Ohtani hit a pair of solo home runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the New York Yankees 8-5 on Friday in the opening game of their 2024 World Series rematch series. After Aaron Judge hit his 19th homer of the season to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Ohtani answered with one of his own in the bottom half at Dodger Stadium. Five innings later, Ohtani launched his major league-leading 22nd home run over the head of right fielder Judge to spark the four-run sixth that turned a 5-2 deficit into a 6-5 lead. The reigning National League MVP had his second two-homer game of the season. Ohtani has hit 15 home runs in May. Asked to comment after the game on his and Judge's home runs in the first inning, Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, "It was a really good start to the game. It was back and forth between two really good teams, and I'm glad that we came out at the top." Andy Pages singled in two insurance runs in the seventh. Ohtani finished the night 2-for-5 with the two RBIs. The Yankees hit four home runs in the first three innings but were held scoreless the rest of the way. "I feel like I have a pretty good rhythm with my new lifestyle," Ohtani said when asked if he has some "extra dad strength" after the birth of his first child, a daughter, last month. "But we're still really not even in the middle part of the season, so I'm just really focused on one game at a time." Among other Japanese players, Chicago Cubs designated hitter Seiya Suzuki went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to a career-high-tying 10 games in a 6-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
