Ohtani Responds to Rare Homer Allowed with a Thunderous Statement of His Own
So, Shohei Ohtani just reminded us—again—why he’s one of the most electrifying athletes in baseball, and maybe even in sports history. In a wild turn of events at Dodger Stadium, Ohtani gave up his first home run of the season... and then promptly launched one of his own in the same inning. Yeah, you heard that right.
It all started with Minnesota’s Byron Buxton stepping up to the plate and absolutely punishing a hanging breaking ball from Ohtani. That shot traveled 410 feet and gave the Twins a quick 1-0 lead. Ohtani admitted after the game that he didn’t execute well on that pitch—it was left over the plate and Buxton didn’t miss. Simple as that.
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But here's where it gets cool. Ohtani wasn’t about to just let that moment define his night. Batting second in the Dodgers’ lineup, he wasted no time answering back. With Mookie Betts on base after a leadoff walk, Ohtani crushed a two-run bomb—his 35th of the season—441 feet to dead center. Just like that, the Dodgers flipped the momentum and took a 2-1 lead.
Now get this: Ohtani became the first MLB pitcher since 1979 to give up a homer and hit one himself in the first inning of the same game. And the last Dodger pitcher to hit a first-inning home run? That was Rick Rhoden all the way back in 1977. So, yeah—this doesn’t happen often.
Ohtani’s outing on the mound wasn’t his sharpest, especially by his usual standards. He gave up four hits and one run over three innings, struck out three, walked one, and threw 46 pitches. His command was a bit off, and manager Dave Roberts even mentioned there were “more misfires” than usual. But the key takeaway is that Ohtani still found ways to compete—he got out of jams, minimized damage, and most importantly, helped his team win.
Will Smith, the Dodgers’ catcher, praised Ohtani’s ability to adjust mid-game. He highlighted Ohtani’s mix of fastballs and a sharp slider that helped him settle down after the first inning.
Offensively, Ohtani did strike out in his final three at-bats, but the tone-setting homer was more than enough. He also showed class and maturity in accepting his new spot in the batting order—Mookie Betts moved up to leadoff in an attempt to shake off Ohtani’s slump. When asked about it, Ohtani said he was all for anything that helps the team feel more comfortable. That’s a team-first mindset from a true superstar.
The Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak with the 5-2 win, and Ohtani’s doing what he always seems to do—make history while reminding us that he’s built differently. If this is him shaking off the rust, then just imagine what’s coming next.
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