Shohei Ohtani: Blue Jays manager John Schneider 'glad' he took Matt Chapman's advice to walk Angels phenom
The Toronto Blue Jays manager, John Schneider, came under scrutiny for one crucial choice that he made during a pivotal game between his team and the Los Angeles Angels.
Some anticipated an intentional walk when Shohei Ohtani, the Angels' star player, stepped up to the plate because of his outstanding form and power. Nevertheless, Schneider made the costly error of pitching to Ohtani.
John Schneider on walking Ohtani intentionally: “Following Chappy’s lead there. Listening to our third baseman, and it worked… glad I talked to Chappy” twitter.com/bnicholsonsmit…
Ohtani, who has been on an unstoppable hot streak for the past two months, showed his genius yet again. He added to his remarkable total of three home runs in three straight at-bats with a jaw-dropping home run that went deep into right field.
Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman was unable to hold back his annoyance after the game. He was seen expressing his displeasure to Manager Schneider, asking why they did not choose to intentionally walk Ohtani to prevent him from scoring runs or potentially setting up a double-play opportunity.
“Why did we pitch to him? He’s the only fucking guy on the team that can hit” -Matt Chapman after Shohei Ohtani's home run pic.twitter.com/rqKMmF0Rvp
The Blue Jays' chances of winning the game were impacted by the choice, as can be seen in retrospect. The defeat served as a reminder that talented players, like Ohtani, cannot be taken lightly and that in games with such high stakes, tactical decisions can make all the difference.
The Blue Jays' manager will undoubtedly exercise more caution as the season goes on when facing the hot-hitting Ohtani and his extraordinary two-way abilities.
Shohei Ohtani left early due to calf cramps.
During a recent baseball game, Shohei Ohtani had to leave early due to severe calf tension caused by fatigue. Unfortunately, this meant he could not participate in his at-bat during the ninth inning, and the Angels lost the game 1-4 after a bases-loaded situation. He had to be replaced by pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic.
The day before, Ohtani had an impressive doubleheader performance against the Detroit Tigers. He started with a shutout and then scored two home runs in the second game. Although Gausman broke his home run streak in the third inning, he managed to hit a single in the sixth and grounded out in the eighth.