“I’m not afraid of Ohtani. Our bats are going to be tough~”온라인카지노
Juan Soto (San Diego Padres) made this comment in front of the local media before the game against the Los Angeles Angels on the 4th (Korean time), and it caused quite a stir. It was a provocation of sorts, suggesting that the Padres’ batting lineup would be tough to beat, despite the fact that the Angels are acknowledging Otani.
As it turns out, Soto’s taunt was not empty. The right-hander dropped to 4-7 on the season after giving up five runs on seven hits (two home runs) in five innings with five strikeouts and four walks in a loss to San Diego on Friday. His ERA spiked to 3.32. The San Diego offence, which has been on a roll of late, has really bothered Ohtani.
That said, I don’t think Soto will be a complete turnaround. In fact, I didn’t get a clear shot at Ohtani. In fact, I didn’t hit him at all. Soto started in left field and went 1-for-4 with a walk, a hit, a strikeout, and a run scored. Soto first faced Ohtani in the bottom of the first inning with the bases loaded. He saw a cutter on the first pitch, but then watched three consecutive pitches enter the strike zone. His second pitch, a 92-mph four-seamer, went down the middle, and his third, an 88-mph cutter, hit the body of the plate. Then a four-seam 76.6 mph curveball came in low and I couldn’t help but watch and head back to the dugout. He seemed to be focusing on his fastball, but it was the first time he’d been caught completely off-guard by an off-speed pitch.
The second encounter between Ohtani and Soto came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Soto led off with a walk and a 1B2S. Ohtani opted for a curve, sweeper, and cutter, respectively, and Soto responded with a four-pitch splitter, but retreated to shortstop. It was a surprise splitter.
Perhaps Soto’s biggest disappointment came in the bottom of the fifth, when he had runners on first and third with no outs. This time, Ohtani opted for a power-to-power pitch. He took a 97-mph fastball for a strike and then dropped a curveball for a 1B2S count, where Ohtani opted for a 97.4-mph high fastball that Soto’s bat came up and fouled off. Soto later added a walk and an RBI grounder to third, but it was not a satisfying day for him personally.