Shohei Ohtani is still looking for his first home run as a Dodger, but that doesn’t exactly mean baseball’s biggest star is having trouble with his new team.
Just 12 hours after being embroiled in a gambling scandal, Ohtani went 1 for 5 against the San Diego Padres in the second game of the MLB’s Seoul Series as Los Angeles lost 15-11. After two games, Ohtani now has three hits and a pair of runs batted in thanks to an RBI single on Wednesday and a sacrifice fly on Thursday. He also has a stolen base.
Ohtani’s longtime friend and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers between the first and second games of the Seoul Series in South Korea, amid reports that he stole millions from the two-time MVP as part of a broader gambling scandal.
Ohtani spokespeople first said this ESPN that the 29-year-old slugger covered Mizuhara’s gambling debts. Later, after ESPN spoke to Mizuhara about the allegations, Ohtani’s spokespeople dismissed the translator’s comments to the network, instead offering a statement from lawyers representing the two-time MVP.
“While responding to recent media inquiries, we learned that Shohei has been the victim of a grand theft, and we are turning the matter over to authorities,” said the statement from Ohtani’s law firm, Berk Brettler LLP.
Shohei Ohtani is still looking for his first home run as a Dodger, but he’s not exactly struggling
Shohei Ohtani #17 of Los Angeles Dodgers hits a fly ball in the bottom of the seventh inning
The statement did not specifically accuse Mizuhara of theft, but the Los Angeles Times reports that the interpreter is accused of stealing millions. Meanwhile, ESPN reports that Mizuhara’s debt totaled at least $4.5 million.
Ohtani spokespeople denied that he has any involvement in illegal gambling and that he has not been charged with any crime.
At ESPN, Mizuhara reportedly admitted that he gambled on sports — but not baseball — before vowing to stop gambling altogether. He declined further comment after the law firm’s statement, which claimed Ohtani was the victim of theft.
Mizuhara worked with Ohtani when he first joined the Los Angeles Angels before the 2018 season and was hired by the Dodgers when the two-time star signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with manager Dave Roberts’ team in December.
By delaying the vast majority of the deal and receiving just a $2 million salary in 2024, Ohtani gave the Dodgers the freedom to make other signings. Most notable was the addition of his compatriot, pitcher Isoroku Yamamoto, who made his MLB debut Thursday in Seoul.
Unfortunately for the 25-year-old pitcher, things got off to a rough start. Yamamoto allowed five runs on four hits and a walk in just one inning of work before being pulled by Roberts.
Yamamoto allowed five runs on four hits and a walk in just one inning before being pulled
(From left) Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani are pictured with Tyler Glasnow (below)
Mookie Betts had four hits and six RBIs for the Dodgers, including the first home run of the Major League season.
Jake Cronenworth tied his career high with four hits and had four RBIs for San Diego, which earned a split in the first two-game series, Major League Baseball’s first games in South Korea. After the Dodgers recovered from a 9-2 deficit to close to 12-11, Manny Machado hit a three-run homer in the ninth off JP Feyereisen.
San Diego defeated the Dodgers 17-16. Luis Campusano scored three hits and 20-year-old midfielder Jackson Merrill had his first two Major League hits.
Los Angeles committed three errors that led to a pair of unearned runs.
Yamamoto (0-1) signed a 12-year, $325 million contract, a record amount for a pitcher who created high expectations. San Diego batted around against the two-time Pacific League MVP and he left with a 45.00 ERA, allowing five runs, four hits, one walk, a hit by pitch and a wild pitch.
Cronenworth’s two-run triple, Ha-Seong Kim’s sacrifice fly, Campusano’s RBI double and Tyler Wade’s runscoring single for a 5-1 lead. Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run single in a four-run third off Michael Grove.
Michael King (1-0) won in his Padres debut after being acquired in the trade that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. King allowed three runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres celebrates with teammates after scoring a point
Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres celebrates with teammates after scoring a run
Robert Suarez got four outs for the save.
Padres starter Joe Musgrove gave up five runs, seven hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings.
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy allowed Campusano’s bouncer in the first inning to get under his glove and down the line for an RBI double, while Fernando Tatis Jr.’s grounder in the third inning kicked his glove to left due to an error when a run was scored, then José Azocar’s grounder in the seventh inning bounced off his glove and caused a runscoring error. Muncy hit an inning-ending pop-up that stranded two runners in the eighth.
In the second season of the field clock, the game lasted 3 hours and 42 minutes, a day after the opener lasted 3:05. Bogaerts struck out for the final out in the eighth when a pitch clock violation was called by plate umpire Andy Fletcher with the score 1-2.
