The team suffered a 2-19 loss, but there was a player who smiled brightly. Athletics catcher Jonny Pereda (29) was the star, leaving a lifelong memory by striking out Shohei Ohtani (31, Los Angeles Dodgers).

On the 16th (Korea time), Pereda pitched in the away game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, where his team was trailing significantly at 2-16 in the 8th inning. With the game already decided, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay put Pereda on the mound to save pitching resources.

Having pitched once with the Miami Marlins last year and now making his third appearance as a pitcher with the Athletics this year, Pereda recorded 4 hits, 1 walk, and 3 earned runs in 1 inning, including allowing a 1-RBI double to Kim Hye-seong.

However, after giving up a double to Kim Hye-seong, he also left an unforgettable moment against Ohtani. Pereda caught a strike with a slow slider at 62.9 miles per hour (101.2 km) on the first pitch, and after a ball on the second pitch, he set up a favorable count with 3-4 consecutive fouls. He then threw a fastball at 89.4 miles per hour (143.9 km) high outside on the fifth pitch. Ohtani, after seeing four consecutive slow pitches, swung at the surprise fastball but was off time. Samjin.

It was even more impressive to capture Samjin against Ohtani, who hit his 14th and 15th home runs of the season that day. The Athletics players in the first base dugout applauded when Samjin was struck out, and Pereda couldn't hide his bright smile. He handed the ball from the strikeout to the Athletics dugout, and after the game, it came into Pereda's hands and was placed in a commemorative ball storage case.

"MLB.com" noted that "the 25 players on the Athletics roster likely want to forget the 2-19 loss to the Dodgers quickly. But not Pereda," highlighting him for getting the strikeout against Ohtani.

Pereda, who signed off on the last fastball, said, "I wasn't trying to get a strikeout. I just wanted to see how it would go. Ohtani was the only batter I wanted to face."

He continued, "It's a very special experience. To strike out a player like Ohtani is really difficult, yet I struck him out as a position player. It's really funny," he laughed, then added, "I hoped Ohtani wouldn't send the ball up the middle. If he did, I might have died." Because Ohtani is known for his fast bat speed, Pereda was afraid of a hard-hit ball heading towards the pitcher's mound, and he showed an action of stepping back after throwing the ball.

Kotsay, the Athletics manager, congratulated him, saying, "This will be a memory throughout Pereda's career," while Dave Roberts, the Dodgers manager, remarked, "What can I say? Ohtani was struck out by a position player," laughing.

Pereda is not the first position player to strike out Ohtani. On Sept. 6, 2022, Cody Clemens, an infielder with the Detroit Tigers at the time, pitched in the 8th inning when his team was trailing 0-9 against the Los Angeles Angels, striking out Ohtani looking on the fourth pitch at 68.4 miles per hour (110.1 km) with an Arirang ball. Clemens took the ball from the strikeout as a souvenir, and Ohtani caused a stir by leaving a unique gift, signing the ball with, "What a nasty pitch!"

Meanwhile, right-handed catcher Pereda, born in Venezuela, signed an international amateur contract with the Chicago Cubs in April 2013. After a long career in the minor leagues, he fulfilled his dream of Major League debut with Miami last year. After being designated for assignment (DFA) by Miami in January, he was traded to the Athletics for cash. This season, he has played 13 games as a backup catcher, recording a batting average of .188 (6 hits in 32 at-bats) and 1 RBI.

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