Ohtani sat out Thursday with soreness in his left knee that reportedly flared back up mid-treatment, which is the kind of update that makes an entire fanbase hold its breath for a day. Friday night against the Red Sox, he was right back in the box like nothing happened.
Ohtani watches his go-ahead two-run shot leave the yard, 112.1 mph off the bat, as the Dodgers scoreboard flips to a 4-3 lead in the 5th.
The homer came off Red Sox reliever Jovani Morán in the 5th inning and put the Dodgers ahead after Boston had jumped out front. It was Ohtani's 24th of the season and, more absurdly, his 133rd as a Dodger — putting him in the same 3-season club as Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez and Babe Ruth. That's the whole sentence. Ohtani, McGwire, A-Rod, Ruth.
For a few innings it looked like exactly the storyline you'd want: banged-up superstar shakes off the knee, saves the game, cue the highlight reel. Fans in the building and on the timeline were locked in on it in real time.
Ohtani rounds the bases on the two-run blast as the crowd erupts and the same 112.1 mph, 386-foot stat line flashes on the broadcast.
Then the bullpen did what Dodgers bullpens have had a habit of doing this year — Boston answered with a 5-run 7th inning and walked out with a 9-4 win, turning Ohtani's go-ahead shot into a footnote instead of a game-winner. Manager Dave Roberts summed it up about as plainly as you can: some nights just aren't going to go your way.
The bigger picture is still the encouraging one. Ohtani playing through knee soreness and immediately producing his best power swing of the night is the exact opposite of the injury scare fans were bracing for after he got scratched Thursday. The Dodgers need him hitting bombs in August a lot more than they need one series win in Boston, and last night's swing was proof the bat's not the problem.