Dodgers News: Shohei Ohtani Sums Gavin Stone’s Performance in Just One Word; Opens Up on Setting Another Franchise Record

Another baseball masterclass by Shohei Ohtani and a shutout by Gavine Stone helped the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the White Sox. Ohtani’s leadoff home run crushed the Chicago team’s hopes of winning the finale. Ultimately, the Los Angeles Dodgers won 4-0, marking the 10th consecutive win for ‘Shotime’ Ohtani with a single RBI. 

Speaking about Gavine Stone, he was impressive on the field despite making his MLB debut a year back. Still a rookie, he pitched a four-hitter, struck out seven, and walked none. Seeing the young star perform and his own fury of records, Ohtani shared a few words with the reporters post-match. 

Shohei Ohtani on Gavine Stone’s impact on the game

At the start against the Chicago White Sox, the game looked balanced. It wasn’t until the arrival of Gavin Stone’s 9th-inning mound that changed the game’s complexion. Applauding Stone for his immaculate pitching, Ohtani said, “Spectacular! By the time you realize, the innings were over. You can just repeat it, that all night long.” Stone (9-2) provided a big lift to the leaders of the National League West team. Nine times, the rookie took the mound on Wednesday night, and eight times, he was able to send off the White Sox batters.

Altogether, Gavin Stone threw 103 pitches, out of which 73 went for strikes. He threw six pitched, but with his powerful 95 mph sinker, 87 mph changeup, and 88 mph slider, he retired the Sox batsman. He also retired three batters on the trott, but the double of Gavin Sheets made him look in a little bit on the field. 

Speaking about setting another astonishing record to his name, Ohtani opened up via a translator saying, “There have been a lot of opportunities with runners on base. All I’m trying to do is have a quality at-bat, so I think it’s the result of that.” Well, that has been the Ohtani trademark since June, when his 11* home runs this month reflected his fine form.   

Entering the match against the White Sox, Ohtani was tied with Eddie Brown (1924), Roy Campanella (1955), Augie Galan (1944), and Eddie Brown (1924) record for consecutive games won with a single RBI in one season. Steering towards his 10th win, he drove the pitcher from Erick Fedde straight to the stands. This led to his 25th home run that extended his RBI streak. 

Midway through his season, Ohtani is an unstoppable Machine

We are just halfway into the 2024 season, and the ‘Shotime’ has already hit a massive 25 home runs. Well, it seems he’s finding himself quite comfortable with the Dodgers. His 10-year contract of $700 million is helping the cause that he has to be with the Dodgers, performing at his best. 

Extending his highest RBI streak and ten consecutive wins against Chicago, the Japanese slugger has been no sort of exception. Currently, the Los Angeles Dodgers are at the top of the NL West rankings (50-31), and Ohtani has indeed played a major role. The two-way phenom is batting at his career-high .320, along with 60 RBIs and 1.032 OPS in just 78 games.

Also, he has been nominated for the best Major League player award alongside Ranger’s Corey Seager, Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, and the outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. On July 5, 2024, he will turn 30 and is batting in the form of his life. Regarding pitching, he’s not available for that since he had an elbow surgery earlier in 2024. Eventually, while he recovers, his focus on batting has helped him smash more home runs and be the player the Dodgers always dreamed of.