“Ohtani looked human today (not divine).”

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was selected as the designated hitter in the game against the New York Mets at Flushing City Field in New York on the 25th (Korea time) for the 2025 Major League season, where he went 0-for-4 with 3 Samjin.

He started the game with a strikeout on the first pitch of the first inning. With a ball count of 2B-2S, he swung and missed on the fifth pitch, a slider from Mets starter left-hander David Peterson that curved sharply outside at 86.6 mph (139 km).

His second at-bat resulted in a ground out. In the top of the third inning, trailing 1-2, Ohtani, as the leadoff hitter, faced a disadvantageous count of 1B-2S and anticipated Peterson's fourth pitch, an 85.9 mph (138 km) changeup, but ended up popping out to center field.

In the fifth inning, trailing 2-4 with two outs and no runners on base, he struck out again. He had gotten ahead with a count of 2B-0S but swung and missed, then tipped foul, before swinging and missing again on Peterson's low-curving 84 mph (135 km) slider.

Ohtani ultimately failed to reach base. In the top of the eighth inning, trailing 2-4 with one out and a runner on first, he faced a disadvantageous count of 1B-2S and struck out swinging on another slider from Peterson that curved outside at 83.7 mph (134 km).

With this 0-for-4 performance, Ohtani's batting average dropped from .320 to .296 over the last three games, where he has gone 1-for-13. His batting average fell below .300 approximately two weeks after a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the 9th. The Dodgers also lost to the Mets, 2-5, ending their four-game winning streak.

Ohtani has also not homered since the game against Arizona on the 20th, marking four consecutive games without a home run. During that time, competitor Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hit three home runs in the last five games, surpassing Ohtani and tying for first place in the Major League home run category with Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies. The gap between them is one.

According to multiple U.S. media reports, Peterson, when asked after the game about the key to keeping Ohtani in check, said, “Ohtani is just another hitter. He is one of the nine players in the lineup.” He added, “I regard all hitters that way. Of course, Ohtani is a great player and has had an outstanding career. The Dodgers have many good hitters.”

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza praised Peterson, saying, “Peterson made Ohtani look human today. He put up an incredible performance against a truly impressive player. He pitched exceptionally well not only against Ohtani but also against other hitters overall.”

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