Shohei Ohtani was carted off the mound in Game 7 of the World Series after allowing Bo Bichette’s three-run homer in the third inning Saturday night.
Pitching on three days’ rest, Ohtani hit 100.9 mph with his fastball, but seemed to run out of steam in the third.
After rushing to field Nathan Lukes’ sacrifice bunt, Ohtani threw a wild pitch to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts intentionally walked Guerrero after that, and Ohtani’s next pitch, No. 51, was a hanging slider that Bichette hit 442 feet.
It was Bichette’s first home run since September 2, a few days before suffering the left knee injury that still hampers him in this Series.
Ohtani allowed three runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings before being replaced by left-hander Justin Wrobleski. Ohtani walked two and struck out three.
He had plenty of speed, throwing three pitches at 100 mph or more, but not much control. He struck out six and walked one in his Game 4 start, when he threw 93 pitches in a 6-2 loss.
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Ohtani bothered the Blue Jays with long delays before warming up in the first and third innings. He was on base to end the top of the first and made the final out in the top of the third, and each time it took him about 4 1/2 minutes before he was ready. The umpires didn’t seem to rush him, and Blue Jays manager John Schneider complained several times.
Previously, Ohtani became the first pitcher to have a hit in a Game 7 of the World Series since Jesse Orosco of the New York Mets in 1986.
He singled to center off Toronto’s Max Scherzer to start the game, moved to second on a groundout and advanced to third on a fly ball, but was stranded when Mookie Betts grounded out.
Ohtani is the first starting pitcher with a hit in a winner-take-all World Series game since 1975, when Bill Lee and Don Gullett each had hits.
Ohtani’s only previous outing on three days’ rest came on April 21, 2017, when he allowed two hits in seven innings and struck out 11 in a 2-0 win over Kansas City. His start in Boston on April 17 was cut short by a rain delay after two innings and 31 pitches.
Starting Ohtani made more sense than using him in relief. under a rule adopted for the 2022 seasonPitchers who start games in the batting order may remain in the game as designated hitters after leaving the mound.
If Ohtani started the game only as a designated hitter and then took the mound, the Dodgers would lose their designated hitter and pitchers would have to bat in that position if Ohtani were relieved.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
