TOKYO -- For the second time in the past week at Tokyo Dome, Shohei Ohtani gave fans exactly what they came to see.
Ohtani hit his first homer of the regular season -- and the Dodgers' third of the game, joining Tommy Edman and Kik¨¦ Hern¨˘ndez -- in the fifth inning of Wednesday's 6-3 win that sealed a sweep in the two-game Tokyo Series. There was some initial confusion when the ball dropped back onto the field, but the crowd erupted with excitement once the home run call was made.
Following a crew chief review, the call was confirmed, with a replay showing that the ball had deflected off a fan. Ohtani joined Hideki Matsui (March 31, 2004) as the only Japanese-born players to go deep in a regular-season Major League game at Tokyo Dome.
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When Ohtani next came to the plate, with Andy Pages on second and two outs in the seventh, the Cubs opted to intentionally walk him rather than risk a repeat. Boos rained down at Tokyo Dome.
Ohtani also homered in his second at-bat of Saturday's exhibition against the Yomiuri Giants, his first game appearance as a Dodger in Japan. He followed that with a 2-for-5 showing with two runs scored on Opening Day, putting on a show for fans on home soil throughout his team's stay in Tokyo.
The Dodgers' superstar has had a knack for coming through in big moments throughout his tenure in Los Angeles, a quality that astounds old and new teammates alike.
"In big moments," left fielder Michael Conforto said on Saturday, "he seems to just do what the fans want him to do. ˇ You just had the feeling that he was going to go out there and do it for the fans tonight, and he did exactly that."