Instead of Celebrating His Streak, Shohei Ohtani Delves Into an Error That Could’ve Cost Dodgers the Game

Shohei Ohtani’s first year in Blue is giving all the blues to rival fans. While it was expected that he’d be doing fine things with the Los Angeles Dodgers, only a few thought he’d already be inserting himself into the Dodgers’ history books. But that’s exactly what the two-way phenom has done. However, despite currently undergoing an unexpected streak, Shohei Ohtani has decided to focus more on his errors.

That’s something that’s expected out of Shotime. Even though he is a top-tier athlete, Ohtani has always looked to improve himself. As a result, even when he’s doing good, he looks for his own errors and areas of betterment. However, on June 25th in a 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox, he made a bizarre mishap, or at least, he thought he did. And now, it looks like, it may have overpowered the 9-game RBI streak in his mind.

After the game, Ohtani was asked about his RBI streak. Instead of taking credit, the two-way phenom said, “Regardless of the RBI streak, I think it’s more about the team creating the opportunities for me to be able to drive in the run.” Ohtani continued to give credit to the team for giving him a chance. However, during that interview, he also explained how he almost missed a base during his home run.

Shohei Ohtani recalled being so busy watching the ball during his first-inning homer that he forgot to first drop his bat. As a result, the Dodgers star almost carried it to the first base. However, after dropping his bat and running towards the second base, he remembered that he didn’t touch the first base. “Just wasn’t quite sure that I stepped on the bag,” said Ohtani. Then, in a bizarre scene, he was seen running back to the first base to touch it.

Had Ohtani missed the base, it would’ve been quite an awkward situation for him. But luckily, the Dodgers star remembered. and even though that was a close save, one can’t deny that this 9-game streak is a big-time achievement for the player.

Shohei Ohtani’s 9-game streak, the longest in the Dodgers since 1955

Shohei Ohtani hit his second leadoff homer of 2024 and his 8th of the season. However, his real record was this 9th straight game, driving in at least one run. That’s the longest streak in the Los Angeles Dodgers since the Hall-of-Fame catcher Roy Campanella did it in 1955. The team was known as the Brooklyn Dodgers then. So, in a way, Ohtani’s streak is the biggest one since the team moved to LA.

More importantly, this recent surge in form has decreased the noise around Ohtani’s RISP issues. Earlier in the season, the two-way phenom was abysmal when it came to having runners in scoring position. There were a few games where he failed to give the Dodgers a game-winning hit. But gradually, Ohtani learned the solution and now, he’s on a RBI streak. 

Still, at present, the two-way phenom is choosing to focus on his baserunning error. Though, it was a rare occurrence, it’s something Ohtani wouldn’t want to repeat. And if one knows anything about Ohtani – he surely will not.