A persistent heckler targeted the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani during a pivotal weekend series in San Diego. Ohtani entered the ninth after going 0 for 10 with two walks in the series and then crushed a 409-foot, 45th home run to seal an 8-2 Dodgers victory. Teammates provided support earlier, including Dalton Rushing's tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh and back-to-back clutch homers from Freddie Freeman. Manager Dave Roberts noted Ohtani's unusual reaction as he acknowledged the heckler with a high-five. The win evened the NL West race with 31 games remaining.
SAN DIEGO -- A heckler next to the Los Angeles Dodgers' dugout spent his entire Sunday giving an earful to the visitors, including a nonstop barrage of digs and chirps at Shohei Ohtani for his hitless performance in a portentous weekend series against the San Diego Padres. When Ohtani crushed his 45th homer and delivered the knockout blow in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 8-2 victory, the normally decorous three-time MVP detoured on his way back to the dugout to slap hands -- and get the last word -- with the chagrined Padres fan.
"It was very out of character from Shohei, (but the heckler) was wearing him out the whole game," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "So it was good to see Shohei initiate a high-five from him. That was great. That was fun. That was good to see Shohei show his personality." Ohtani didn't speak to reporters afterward, but he didn't need a loudmouth fan to tell him that he was 0 for 10 with two walks in the series before his 409-foot homer off Yuki Matsui.
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