Dodgers Interview: Shohei talks about his massive game on Friday
"The whole inning had energy."
PHOENIX — When Shohei Ohtani’s bat met ball in the top of the ninth in Phoenix, there was no doubt. He spread his arms wide as he left the box—an uncharacteristic celebration from one of the game’s most composed superstars. But this wasn’t just any home run. This was the dagger in a furious Dodgers comeback, part of a six-run ninth that led to a 14–11 win over the Diamondbacks. And even Ohtani couldn’t hide how much it meant.
“I was just really happy,” Ohtani said afterward. “I was confident the moment I hit it that it would be a home run, and I think that’s why I was able to show that kind of reaction. That doesn’t happen too often for me.”
Despite being the one to deliver the final blow, Ohtani was quick to point out that the comeback was a full team effort. “Everyone kept the line moving,” he said. “We all stayed connected. Even though I was the one who finished it, getting to the tying run was the hardest part. That ninth inning was incredible to watch.”
Ohtani said that during his at-bat, he wasn’t trying to do too much. “I wasn’t sitting on any specific pitch,” he explained. “I just tried to react to something over the plate. Luckily, I got a pitch I could handle and was able to drive it. I’m just glad it went out.”
He also credited Max Muncy’s earlier at-bat as one of the key moments in the rally. “When Muncy got that hit, that’s when it really felt like we still had a chance,” Ohtani said. “That whole inning had energy. I think at that point, the momentum was clearly on our side.”
Asked what he thought of the game as a whole, Ohtani said, “It wasn’t the kind of game you see every day. We scored first, then they came back, and then we came back again in the ninth. The back-and-forth made it really exciting. It was a truly great game.”
The win came on the eve of Mother’s Day weekend in both Japan and the United States. When asked if his dramatic home run felt like a tribute to his wife—who recently became a mother—Ohtani deflected the connection. “It’s not Mother’s Day just yet,” he said with a small smile. “I don’t need to force that connection. I can just express my gratitude directly when the time comes.”
Even in a moment that could easily have been all about him, Ohtani remained grounded and focused on the team. “I wasn’t trying to do anything special,” he said. “At the end, I just focused on making contact. But really, the whole rally was what stood out. That was the most amazing part.”
As the Dodgers look to close out the series with wins on Saturday and Sunday, they’ll do so riding the momentum of one of their most dramatic victories of the season—and a signature swing from their biggest star.
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