Ohtani's 'superstar' night: leadoff HR, 5 scoreles...
Key takeaways
- "He's going to do some superstar stuff today."
- The Dodgers were playing a rubber match against their bitter rivals, the San Diego Padres, and Ohtani was in the lineup on his start day, something that hadn't occurred in nearly a month.
- Said Hurt: "He's a superstar for a reason."
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
SAN DIEGO -- Kyle Hurt was in the visitors' bullpen at Petco Park, ready for the start of Wednesday's series finale, when he turned to his teammate, fellow Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Paul Gervase, and made a prediction about Shohei Ohtani:
"He's going to do some superstar stuff today."
The Dodgers were playing a rubber match against their bitter rivals, the San Diego Padres, and Ohtani was in the lineup on his start day, something that hadn't occurred in nearly a month. Hurt figured he'd dominate in a way only he can. And then, in some ways, Ohtani did -- hitting a leadoff home run, then pitching five scoreless innings in the Dodgers' 4-0 victory, which pushed their lead over the Padres in the National League West to 1½ games.