Superstar Shohei Ohtani (31, Los Angeles Dodgers) faced a tough matchup against Japanese pitcher Shota Imagawa (32, Chicago Cubs), who showcased remarkable humility.

Imagawa started the home game against the Dodgers on the 23rd (Korean time) at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, recording 5⅔ innings with 6 hits allowed (3 home runs), 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 5 runs (2 earned).

Despite hitting 3 home runs and allowing 5 runs due to defensive mistakes, the game did not go well for him. Having met the conditions for a winning start amid backing from the lineup, the victory slipped away due to bullpen struggles. The game ended with the Cubs’ 11-10 walk-off victory after an extra inning 10 battle.

Although it was a disappointing game for Imagawa, the fact that he held Ohtani to 0 hits in 3 at-bats with 2 Samjin helped solidify their nemesis relationship. In the first inning, he induced a ground ball from Ohtani to third base, and struck him out with a sweeper in the second and fifth innings.

Thus, since last year, Imagawa has not allowed Ohtani to reach base in 10 at-bats, going 0 for 10 with 3 Samjin. After going 0 for 2 with 1 Samjin on April 8 last year and 0 for 3 on September 11, he added 0 for 2 on March 18 this year, achieving 10 consecutive at-bats without a hit, resulting in a complete victory for Imagawa.

The Cubs' dedicated broadcasting team from 'Marquee Sports Network' noted, "A fan on X said, 'Shota > Ohtani,' indicating that Shota is better than Ohtani. Clearly, 10 at-bats without a hit is not a record you would expect from a player making big money," shedding light on the nemesis relationship between the two players.

However, Imagawa’s actual reaction was humble. According to local media including 'Nikkan Sports,' after the game, while smiling at questions about Ohtani, Imagawa's answers were filled with humility. "When competing against a great player like Ohtani, I approach it with the mindset that 'it’s natural to get hit.' It’s just a coincidence that I’ve gotten good results 10 times. If we face off 10 more times, I might give up 10 hits. It’s just a small miracle that has happened 10 times," Imagawa said.

He continued, "I just do my best. No one knows whether Ohtani will hit or not after I throw the ball. What's important is to do it in a way that everyone can understand, whether I get him out or he hits. Today, he swung, and I was able to get him out, but (regardless of the outcome) it's important to always do my best," lowering his stance.

Although Imagawa has established himself as a nemesis to Ohtani, he allowed a three-run home run to Tommy Edman in the first inning, then a solo shot to Andy Pahdyes in the second and to Will Smith in the sixth. Over the last four games, he has given up 7 home runs in 23 innings. The home runs allowed per 9 innings has noticeably increased from 1.4 last year to 1.9 this year.

This season, in 6 games (34 innings), he has a record of 2 wins and 1 loss with an earned run average of 2.38 and 27 strikeouts, achieving good performance but lamenting the home runs allowed. Imagawa remarked, "I want to blame it all on the wind if possible, but even if the wind was a headwind, all three would have gone over the fence. Home runs allowed are an eternal puzzle. Allowing them in a pitcher-friendly park is not good. I want to quickly figure out how to avoid giving up home runs."

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