Ohtani and his dog share first-pitch duties before Dodgers superstar blasts leadoff homer

AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani homered leading off the game on his second bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium shortly after the Japanese superstar and his dog, Decoy, handled ceremonial first pitch duties.

Ohtani sent a 1-2 pitch from Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes into right-center for his 42nd homer of the season on Wednesday night. He went 2 for 4 with three runs scored and stole two bases.

“I think I was more nervous with the ceremonial pitch than Decoy,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “I’m glad everything went well.”

The second Ohtani bobblehead giveaway proved just as popular as the first.

Or, “It’s déjà vu all over again,” as Yogi Berra liked to take credit for saying.

Long lines of cars were backed up on roads around the stadium five hours before the team hosted the Orioles on Wednesday night.

Some drivers took to the wrong side of the road to negotiate a blocked intersection near one of the stadium gates where no traffic control officers were posted.

“I’m just happy that I made it,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “It took me forever to get inside Dodger Stadium. I actually picked up one of the Dodger workers. She was laboring up the hill so I picked her up and gave her a little lift.”

Only the first 40,000 fans received the bobblehead, which depicts a smiling Ohtani holding Decoy (its Japanese name is Dekopin). Some gold versions were randomly mixed in. The souvenirs soon were being listed on eBay, although the prices appeared to be much lower than for his first bobblehead in May.

“Man, there is a high demand for this dang bobblehead,” Roberts said.

Ohtani carried Decoy to the mound for ceremonial first pitch duties. He placed the ball on the rubber and took up a catching position behind home plate. After Ohtani gave a signal, the Dutch Kooikerhondje — wearing his own uniform — picked up the ball in his mouth and carried it to Ohtani.

He said it took three weeks to train the dog, who appeared calm in front of the sellout crowd of 53,290. They did a practice run at the stadium before the big night.

They shared a hand-to-paw high five as the crowd cheered wildly and Ohtani smiled broadly.

“I’m impressed that that dog was already that trained, but I guess if it’s Shohei’s dog nothing should be surprising,” Roberts said.

Fans, many of them Japanese, waited patiently under a hot sun in a line that stretched well away from the main gate, before it opened.

The first Ohtani bobblehead giveaway in May — featuring him in his batting stance — attracted a sellout crowd of 53,527 — the largest in the majors this season and the most at Dodger Stadium since Sept. 20, 2019. The promotion snarled traffic for hours ahead of game time.

Ohtani walked, popped out and struck out that night in a 7-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

The Dodgers have scheduled one more Ohtani giveaway to mark the two-way superstar’s first season in Los Angeles after six years in Anaheim with the Angels. The September promotion will be a shirt. The team gave away hats in July.

Ohtani joined the Dodgers last December, signing a $700 million, 10-year contract. Last week, he became the fastest player in major league history — and sixth ever — with 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the same season — and he achieved the feat in the same game.

He’s now taking aim at something that’s never been done before: 50 homers and 50 stolen bases.

Roberts said he is still surprised by the mania that surrounds Ohtani.

“When you’re in it day to day, he’s a baseball player that just wants to play,” the manager said, “but when you see him impact and move the needle like he does and has, I’ve just never seen anything like this. It is incredible.”

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