Shohei Ohtani knows a thing or two about two-way stardom. So it should come as no surprise that, when he became the victim of a position player-turned-pitcher, he handled the aftermath with a sense of humor and grace.
In the eighth inning of Monday’s 10–0 win over the Tigers, Ohtani stepped to the plate to face Detroit infielder Kody Clemens, who was called into mop-up duty to spare the Tigers’ bullpen. Clemens—the son of seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens—had made five career pitching appearances prior to Monday’s game but had never recorded a strikeout. That changed when Ohtani stepped to the plate, with the reigning American League MVP taking a called third strike on a 68-mph pitch that could best be categorized as an eephus.
