Dodgers Interview: Shohei Ohtani reflects on big WBC win over Korea
TOKYO, JAPAN — Shohei Ohtani called it the kind of game that could have gone either way, and the scoreboard agreed with him. Team Japan’s 8–6 win over Korea had big swings, quick momentum shifts, and a finish that kept everyone leaning forward. Ohtani did his part in the middle of it, going 2-for-2 with a home run, and afterward he talked about the at-bat, the dugout mood, and what a tough win can do for a team in a short tournament.
Ohtani’s Homer: “I was able to take care of a mistake”
“It was a great game,” Ohtani said, speaking Japanese. “It was the kind of game where either side could have won.” Asked about his home run in the third inning, he said the situation shaped his approach. “It was a one-run game,” he said. “In that at-bat, I just wanted to have a good plate appearance first. Then I was able to take care of a mistake pitch.”
When he was asked about Seiya Suzuki, who also delivered a huge night at the plate, Ohtani didn’t hold back on the praise. “He’s a truly great player,” Ohtani said. “The first home run, and the second one too, there was no wasted movement. They were really good at-bats. Even the moment where he calmly chose the ball, that was probably difficult, but he kept his zone and I was watching it thinking it was a great plate appearance.”
When a reporter asked what moment changed the feel of the game, Ohtani circled back to Suzuki’s first big swing and how it settled the group. “The biggest one was Seiya’s first two-run homer,” he said. “In terms of calming things down inside the game, it brought the flow back. We gave up three runs early, but getting it to a one-run game was big. After that, for me and for everyone, it created an environment where we could focus on our own plate appearances. I thought it was a really good one.”
A Hug from Kikuchi
Ohtani was also asked about a dugout moment after his homer, when he hugged Kikuchi, the senior he looked up to from Hanamaki Higashi. Ohtani said the emotion was tied to the game situation and the human reality of starting a big one. “I think he was nervous,” Ohtani said. “That’s normal. Even as a starter, there are times you don’t get off to a good start. Those games happen. If tying it up helped even a little, I’m happy. He told me thank you in the dugout. It was still a big game, but it also felt like, ‘We’ve got a lot more ahead.’ That was the dugout mood. I think a good dugout atmosphere kept flowing through the game.”
One small detail that jumped out was Ohtani taking on-the-field batting practice before the game, something that can surprise fans who are used to the regular-season routine. He explained it as part of where the calendar is right now. “It’s still spring training season,” Ohtani said. “In this period, there are times I hit outside. It’s one of my habits. It’s a time when your body and your swing aren’t fully set yet, and there are things you can only confirm by hitting outside. As part of that, even during the tournament, in terms of being able to swing fully, I think hitting outside can be good preparation.”
More on Matcha
An MLB.com question referenced the team’s usual “matcha” celebration, and why Ohtani seemed to signal the dugout to settle down after his homer. Ohtani said he could feel the emotional tempo rising and wanted to steady it. “When you get scored on first, there’s this feeling of, ‘Uh oh, uh oh,’” he said. “There’s a rhythm where you can start rushing. I felt that in the dugout, and by tying it up, it was like, ‘Let’s settle down a little.’ That was the dugout mood.”
Another question asked about the difference between the tune-up games and the start of the tournament, and whether his approach changed. Ohtani framed the exhibitions as exactly what they are: a place to check boxes. “The exhibition games were exhibition games,” he said. “They’re part of preparation, nothing more and nothing less. The most important thing is getting into the games and finding what you need to work on. The pitchers were also a different look than MLB. In those two games, I confirmed what I needed to do against that, and ideally you enter the first game in a good form. That’s difficult, but being able to prepare and enter well, I think that became a valuable experience.”
Finding Different Ways to Score
Ohtani was asked about Japan showing different ways to score, and what that says about the team as the tournament moves on. He kept it focused on the quality of at-bats and the way the lineup handled pressure. “There are guys who are hitting and guys who aren’t,” he said. “It’s only two games in a short tournament, but I think everyone is really clean. In both pinch situations and chances, everyone is able to focus on their own play, their own at-bat. As a result, that’s a good thing.” He also gave Korea a lot of respect, which matched how uncomfortable the game felt throughout. “The Korean players also had very careful at-bats,” Ohtani said. “It’s a really good lineup. It was a tough, great game. For both sides, it was a good game.”
At the end, he was asked what a win like this can do for Japan’s momentum. Ohtani answered like someone who has seen how a tournament builds. “In a tournament, like the last time, there are always going to be a few tough games,” he said. “When you win those games, as a team, it feels like your unity and your team strength go up. In that sense, getting this one today is really big. I think each person did truly great work.”
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