Shohei Ohtani’s stint on the mound in Game 7 of the World Series was cut short, much to everyone’s surprise. The Dodgers’ dual-threat star was forced off the mound in the third inning after Bo Bichette hit a three-run homer that sent Toronto fans at Rogers Center into a wild celebration.
Bichette, the Blue Jays second baseman, had been injured in September and made his return during Game 1 of the series.
Ohtani quickly lost control of his game as the third inning began. After giving up a single to George Springer, who already boasts four postseason home runs, the Dodgers intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr., hoping for a potential double play.
However, this strategy immediately backfired when Bichette smashed an 88-mph slider down and away, sending it deep into centerfield for his first home run of the series and giving Toronto a 3-0 lead.
As Bichette rounded the bases amid thunderous applause, scoring Springer and Guerrero, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts approached the mound and asked for the game ball from his dual-threat star.
The Japanese sensation was visibly taken aback by the home run and his reaction was captured on camera. He watched as the hanging slider soared into the leftfield seats, then dropped his hands to his knees as the crowd erupted in cheers and jubilation.
The Jays moved one step closer to their third World Series championship ever, thanks to the play. Ohtani’s pitching stats for the night included 2.1 innings, five hits, and three runs, all earned, along with two walks, three strikeouts, and one home run allowed on 51 pitches, 31 of which were strikes.
Ohtani’s ERA rose to 4.43 when left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski stepped in as relief.
Tensions flared between the two dugouts moments after the Dodgers made the switch, when Toronto second baseman Andres Gimenez was hit in the hand by a pitch from Wrobleski, nearly sparking a bench-clearing brawl. Wrobleski threw several pitches up and in to Gimenez, attempting to push the Blue Jays’ nine-hole hitter off the plate.
During a fastball, Gimenez’s hand swung outward as the ball flew high, hitting him directly and causing him to stumble down the line. Both bullpens emptied as umpires tried to defuse the growing tension between the eager teams.
Ohtani’s night didn’t end when he left the mound. Unlike most pitchers, he remained in the lineup as the Dodgers’ designated hitter and immediately made an impact in his first at-bat after being pulled.
In the top of the fifth inning, Ohtani hit a single to right field off reliever Louis Varland after singling in the first and lining out in the third. He provided Los Angeles with a much-needed spark as their bats struggled throughout the night.
The fifth inning hit occurred right after Toronto decided to pull their starting pitcher, Max Scherzer, who had a solid 4.1 innings before manager John Schneider called in the bullpen.
Scherzer allowed four hits and one run, which came from a sacrifice fly by Teoscar Hernandez in the fourth inning, scoring the Dodgers’ first run of the game.
