Shohei Ohtani Spars With Umpires As Dodgers Fall To Giants

It turns out that Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani is mortal, after all. All it takes is a few questionable strikeout calls.

In a 4-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants Wednesday night, Ohtani became the center of attention for two heated exchanges with home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. Ohtani first made his feelings known in the top of the third inning when Wendelstedt rang him up on a ball below the zone. The two nearly locked horns again at the top of the seventh when Ohtani went down looking on a ball up and away.

Because Ohtani is known as an even-keel player, his reactions Wednesday night were telling, and post-game analysis seems to confirm his frustration. According to Umpire Scorecards, an online platform evaluating home plate umpires’ accuracy, Wendelstedt missed several calls, which gave the Giants an advantage.

Though his impact on the game was not statistically significant enough to alter the final result, his missed calls adversely affected Ohtani’s performance. He went 2-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts looking, both of which were decided by pitches outside the strike zone.

In the grand scheme, the game does little to impact Ohtani’s torrid start to the season, as the superstar improved to a .364 batting average, the best in the league. His 12 home runs are tied for the second most of any player, and he is quickly re-entering MVP consideration despite his inability to pitch or play the field. Two strikeouts Wednesday may have irked him, but they did little to halt his incredible momentum at the plate,

The Dodgers’ loss isn’t particularly impactful either, as the team has already jumped out to a massive lead in the N.L. West division. Los Angeles currently has a 29-16 record and is one of three National League teams, along with the Braves and Phillies, considered serious contenders for this year’s World Series.

Ohtani’s dismay with Wendelstedt may contribute to the ongoing discourse about umpires’ competency and the potential introduction of electronic strike zones. For the player and his team, however, the forgettable night is little more than a blip for now. 

The exchange comes as the superstar continues to deal with the fallout from the scandal of his interpreter betting on baseball games with his money.