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By Julio Cesar Valdera Morales
Contributing Sports Writer
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For an MLB pitcher, missing the opportunity to get a no-hitter is a tough pill to swallow, considering this feat is not in the cards every day. It's no surprise that when something like this happens, it's met with expressions of disappointment and even the occasional outburst of anger.
That's not the case for Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who proved Tuesday that he's one of a kind also in this regard. The Japanese pitcher was pulled after pitching five no-hit innings, but he had nothing but respect for the controversial decision.
"I don't get to decide where I'll end up or how far I'll go," Ohtani said after the game in a video interview posted to YouTube by the Dodger Blue channel. "It's up to the front office, or the manager, if they want me to go, I'll do my best to make it happen. If they want me to step down, I'll abide by their orders. As a player, that's my role, so I want to make sure I'm ready to pitch anytime, anywhere."
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Pulling Ohtani couldn't have gone worse for Dave Roberts. The Dodgers were leading the game 3-0 when the Japanese pitcher finished his work from the mound, but the relievers couldn't get the job done and allowed six runs to lose 6-5.
During his postgame press conference, Roberts said that Ohtani could see more pitching action in the playoffs. The Japanese pitcher, for his part, was fully in favor of this possibility.
"I definitely want to pitch as many times as possible," he told reporters.
Ohtani is receiving special care as a pitcher due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery in 2023. Because of this, he spent the entire 2024 season without pitching, and his progress so far has been favorable.
Despite the Dodgers' loss, the night wasn't entirely a fiasco for Ohtani, who struck out five and also hit his 50th home run of the season. This performance allowed him to become the first player in history to reach 50 strikeouts and 50 home runs in the same season.
This is the second consecutive campaign of 50 or more home runs for Ohtani, who, as you may recall, hit 54 last season.
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