Shohei Ohtani's (Los Angeles Dodgers) world-class character, who calmed his teammates with his composure even after being hit by a retaliatory pitch at 161 km/h, is drawing attention.

On the 20th (Korea time), the final game of the four-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball 2025 took place at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

The Dodgers entered the top of the 9th inning trailing 0-5. Rookie Jack Little, who made his Major League debut in the top of the 8th inning, took the mound again in the 9th and struck out leadoff hitter Martin Maldonado before hitting Fernando Tatis Jr. with a pitch, providing a pretext for a bench-clearing incident.

With a ball count of 1B-1S, Little's third pitch, a 93 mph (149 km) fastball, struck Tatis Jr. on his arm. Tatis Jr. fell to the ground in the batter's box, expressing significant pain, prompting San Diego manager Mike Schilt to storm out of the dugout and openly show anger towards the Dodgers' bench. In response, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also reacted strongly, leading to a bench-clearing incident.

After assessing the situation, umpire Marvin Hudson ordered both managers, Roberts and Schilt, to leave the game. Due to the impact of being hit by the pitch, Tatis Jr. was replaced by pinch runner Trenton Brooks.

In the bottom of the 9th inning, still trailing 0-5, Dodgers leadoff hitters Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy each drew walks to ignite the spark for a comeback. Subsequently, with one out and runners on first and third, Tommy Edman hit a one-RBI single, and Hyeseong Kim added a one-RBI ground ball, cutting the deficit to 2-5.

Then Ohtani came to the plate, and with a ball count of 3B-0S, San Diego's Robert Suarez's fourth pitch, a 99.8 mph (161 km) fastball, struck Ohtani in his right side. There was a moment when a second bench-clearing incident seemed imminent, but Ohtani raised his hand towards the bench to signal he was okay, showcasing his dignity and calming the excited Dodgers bench. Hudson, the umpire, issued an ejection order, determining that Suarez's fourth pitch contained intent.

Japanese media outlet Yomiuri Shimbun, covering the bench-clearing incident, reported, "Since Ohtani had been hit by a pitch on his upper thigh two days earlier, there was a stir in the stadium, but Ohtani emphasized that he was fine by waving his arms vigorously towards the bench. The San Diego Padres explained that there was no intent, but Ohtani's being hit appeared related to the previous incident with Tatis Jr."

Manager Schilt expressed anger, saying, "It's common for a pitcher to throw inside, but we've been hit by a pitch five times against the Dodgers, including last season. It's three times in just the last seven games. Intent is not the main issue. I can’t take it anymore," while Tatis Jr. acknowledged, "I've been hit by a pitch several times just against the Dodgers. I don't know if it’s intentional, but based on my baseball experience, it feels like there’s a limit."

However, apart from the rivalry between the two teams, Ohtani’s character, which prevented a second bench-clearing incident with his composure after being hit by a retaliatory pitch, deserves applause. Manager Roberts remarked, "Ohtani seemed aware that the pitch was intentional. Fortunately, he avoided injury and didn’t want to escalate the situation further. It was a mature response. I respect that."

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