Shohei Ohtani High-fives His Own Heckler After Home Run Seals Crucial Dodgers Win Over Padres

A heckler adjacent to nan Los Angeles Dodgers’ dugout spent his full Sunday giving an earful to nan visitors, including a nonstop barrage of digs and chirps astatine Shohei Ohtani for his hitless capacity successful a portentous play bid against nan San Diego Padres.

But erstwhile Ohtani crushed his 45th homer and delivered nan knockout rustle successful nan ninth inning of nan Dodgers’ 8-2 victory, nan usually decorous three-time MVP detoured connected his measurement backmost to nan dugout to slap hands – and get nan past connection – pinch nan chagrined Padres fan.

The Dodgers enjoyed nan scene, on pinch conscionable astir everything other that transpired successful nan last 4 innings of a triumph that evened nan NL West title yet again pinch 31 games left.

“It was very retired of characteristic from Shohei, [but nan heckler] was wearing him retired nan full game,” Dodgers head Dave Roberts said. “So it was bully to spot Shohei initiate a high-five from him. That was great. That was fun. It was bully to spot Shohei show his personality.”

Ohtani didn’t speak to reporters aft nan game, but he didn’t request nan heckler to show him that he was 0-for-10 pinch 2 walks successful nan bid earlier his 409ft homer disconnected Yuki Matsui.

His chap Dodgers had already delivered by then, pinch rookie Dalton Rushing‘s tiebreaking three-run changeable successful nan seventh inning sandwiched betwixt clutch homers successful back-to-back innings by Freddie Freeman.

“He was conscionable benignant of talking to Shohei nan full game, truthful I’m gladsome Shohei was capable to springiness him a small thing other to cheer about,” Freeman said pinch a grin.

Freeman and nan remainder of nan Dodgers heard plentifulness of yapping from nan stands during nan play successful nan latest section of what whitethorn presently beryllium nan liveliest rivalry successful nan sport. The sound intensified arsenic Los Angeles mislaid nan first 2 games while managing conscionable 5 mixed hits – but nan defending World Series champs still managed to caput location smiling and moreover pinch nan Padres astatine 74-57.

When asked if nan rivalry is nan champion successful baseball, Rushing replied: “I deliberation so. I deliberation it’s beautiful safe to say. You spot nan ambiance we play in, whether it’s present aliases successful LA. I deliberation it’s beautiful special. There’s thing to it. There’s a batch of superstars connected nan field, and it’s nosy to play successful these games.”

The Dodgers person won 11 of nan past 12 NL West titles, while nan Padres haven’t won nan section since 2006. San Diego are closing successful connected their 4th playoff berth successful six seasons during nan longest tally of sustained occurrence successful squad history.

Though nan rivals won’t meet again successful nan regular season, some teams admit they’ll beryllium watching what nan different does down nan stretch.

“We’re going to dainty nan adjacent nevertheless galore games until nan regular play is complete for illustration we’re neck-and-neck pinch them,” Rushing said. “Whether we’re tied successful nan section aliases we’re 8 games out, we’re going to dainty it for illustration it’s nan same, and I deliberation it’s a bully thing. You clasp a competitory separator finishing retired nan regular season, and that’s what you benignant of transportation into nan postseason.”