Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani can touch 100, 101 mph as a pitcher when healthy.
The Dodgers still haven’t been able to enjoy that version of Ohtani, since he injured his elbow last year and probably won’t pitch this year.
However, he was able to experience what is like to face a pitcher who can throw the ball that hard when he stepped to the plate against Pittsburgh Pirates rising star Paul Skenes on Wednesday.
It sure isn’t fun.
Ohtani, however, showed his competitive nature, as did Skenes.
MLB posted a cool five-minute video of the three at-bats that these two monsters shared together.
“Paul Skenes vs. Shohei Ohtani. 3 at-bats in an epic showdown,” they wrote, with the clip.
Paul Skenes vs. Shohei Ohtani.
3 at-bats in an epic showdown. pic.twitter.com/1I5WrOGXuw
— MLB (@MLB) June 6, 2024
In the top of the first inning, Skenes showed Ohtani what he is made of: the Japanese star saw three pitches, three fastballs over 100 mph, and three swinging strikes.
A quick, impressive strikeout.
The second at-bat, in the third frame, started off similarly with a swinging strike on a fastball.
Then Ohtani took two breaking balls, one outside and one inside, for balls to get ahead in the count, 2-1.
Skenes went back to his heater for a swinging strike to tie the count at 2-2.
The Pirates righty then missed inside with a fastball, and we got a full count.
The next fastball was 100 mph, but too close to the center of the plate: Ohtani took him deep for a two-run home run.
In the fifth inning, Skenes faced Ohtani for a third time, which certainly doesn’t sound like a good idea.
In a 1-1 count, he hit a screaming groundball to second base that went through for a single.
So, to sum up, Skenes won a battle, but Ohtani took two.
It was Skenes and the Pirates who took the game, anyway, but it was incredibly exciting to see these two stars giving everything they had to help their respective teams.
Baseball needs more showdowns like these.
